During the pandemic, employees suddenly working from home accelerated their use of videoconferencing, home computers, and other connected devices. Similarly, those not employed outside the home sought ways to stay connected with others or help their students continue their education. Communication activities ranging from videoconferencing to video calls, email, group chats, and text messaging are at the heart of these connections. Market adoption has not been assured nor evenly distributed, as only some segments adopted behaviors they continued. Meanwhile, other segments dallied with new communication methods and then returned to their old ways.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: communication activities by device type, communication activities among those working from home, devices used for work-related communication, and top communication activities.
Highlights: Mobile Phones
This TUP Highlights Report profiles smartphones – their market penetration, user demographic profile, their regular activities, usage profile, key competitors, and purchase plans.
Profile of Americans actively using a Google assistant or Google-brand speakers
Google aims to be ubiquitous and have competitive offerings to Apple, Amazon, and others. As a class, voice assistants and speakers have expanded in use by fits and starts. Only one in four Americans use a Google voice assistant or Google-brand speaker. This MetaFAQs profiles these active voice users by their age, age within gender, employment status, presence of children, life stage, number of computers used, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Profile of Americans actively using Amazon Alexa or Echo speakers
Making it easy to buy products goes well beyond Amazon’s 1-click online screens – with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Amazon offers its voice assistant and smart speaker competitors to Apple, Google, and others. Only one in five American adults regularly use Amazon Alexa or an Amazon-branded smart speaker. This MetaFAQs profiles American active Amazon Alexa & Echo smart speaker users by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age group and age within gender, employment status, presence of children, life stage, number of PCs used, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Profile of Americans using Facebook
Facebook is the legacy service of the Meta family. With a nearly two-thirds penetration rate, Facebook mirrors the American online population in many respects except two. Middle-aged and older female homemakers have the highest penetration rates. This MetaFAQs report briefly profiles American Facebook users by two vital demographic factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age group and age within gender, and employment status.
Profile of Americans writing/managing text/notes/documents
Text messaging, emailing, and using platforms like Slack and Teams have grown as a substitute for preparing finished documents. Almost half of online Americans regularly use their connected devices to write and manage documents. This MetaFAQs profiles these writers by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age group and age within gender, employment status, number of PCs used, employer-provided PC, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Profile of American iPhone users
Apple iPhones have reached nearly every type of online American, although gaps and skews persist. Younger adult students and employees have the highest penetration rates. This MetaFAQs report profiles American iPhone users by four critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age group, employment status, life stage, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Used and refurbished smartphones among disadvantaged and advantaged Americans
Are used/refurbished smartphones only for poorer people? This MetaFAQs report details the percentage of online Americans using a used/refurbished smartphone by socioeconomically advantaged/disadvantaged groups, each composed of household income, employment status, employment type, educational attainment, age group, ethnicity, household size, and other demographic characteristics.
Digital health usage among Americans
Digital technology has empowered people worldwide to be more involved with and aware of their health, with a growing and rich collection of devices and information sources. However, has supply outpaced the demand? This TUPdate reports on the active usage of critical health devices and health-oriented activities. It details the number of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Germany who track their steps using a smartphone, uses a smartwatch or fitness tracker, or regularly search for health information online.
Seeking health information online
Online adults regularly use connected devices to look up information from news and sports results to health information such as COVID dashboards and remedies. Searching for health information online is a regular activity among nearly half of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan, and it has shifted since 2017.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the countries surveyed who regularly seek health information online and further details them by age group.