Home computers began to decline in use in 2018, a drop that accelerated with the pandemic’s onset. Younger adults across multiple countries were the first to reduce their home computer use which older adults then followed. In 2023, all age groups across the countries surveyed have reduced the share that actively uses a home computer. Usage is lowest among younger adults, although rates are also lower among older adults than in 2017.
Thie MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults who regularly use a home computer, split by country (US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China) and age group. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0120_pcat] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile
Family size influences connected device use
In larger households, adults tend to spend more time on digital devices compared to those in smaller households. Adults in larger households use their connected devices more hours per week than those in smaller households. This pattern holds among online Americans, Britons, Japanese, and Chinese. Among German adults, the pattern is bimodal, with usage highest among German adults with 3 persons in their household.
This MetaFAQs reports on the average (mean) weekly hours online adults use their connected devices (computers, smartphones, tablets) during a week. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0119_busy] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Households
Game consoles continue among the young at heart after an early pandemic surge
The active use of a game console is primarily the domain of younger adults. However, the entertainment devices are not limited to the youngest adults as market penetration remains nearly as high among 40-somethings as among the age 18 to 24 adult. Following the onset of the pandemic, game console penetration reached new highs among most age groups and countries, only to settle back towards historical levels.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults actively using a game console split by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0216_yapt] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Game Consoles, Gaming PCs, and Game-Playing
In-country computer use: age matters
Computers such as Apple Macs, those running Microsoft Windows or ChromeOS are being used by most online adults worldwide, although penetration rates vary by age group within countries. In the US and Japan, computer users skew older. In the UK and China, computer users skew somewhat younger, although not strongest among adults aged 18 to 24. Instead, a growing group of online adults rely on smartphones for everyday activities and turn to computers for a declining subset of things they regularly do.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults who actively use a computer that they acquired with personal funds (a home computer), one provided by an employer (work/self-employed), or from someone else (a school, library, government, neighbor, or other). Report [TUP_doc_2024_0115_agpc] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; User Profile
Smartphone replacement delays widespread across many countries and generations
Across the US, Germany, Japan, and China, a declining share of adults acquired smartphones in the prior year. Only in the UK have we seen a recent expansion of smartphone buyers. Gen Z adults are showing the widest variation, partly due to their rapidly shifting employment statuses and financial situations since the onset of the pandemic.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who have acquired a smartphone in the prior 12 months split by country and age generation. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0115_spnt] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; User Profile
Home PCs shine again for remote work
The rapid spread of the pandemic caught many employers and employees by surprise. Most were unprepared to work remotely and many were uncertain how long they might be working remotely. Consequently, many workers simply used their personally-owned home computers to get work done. Although 2020 saw high levels of home PC use for work which then shrunk markedly in 2021, we’re now seeing a return to broad home PC use for work. Using a home PC for work activities is a widespread practice, even among workers who may have an employer-provided PC available to them when they are in the workplace. Although work email is a major activity for home PCs, there is a long list of work activities regularly done by many remote workers.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of remote workers and workers who never work remotely that use a home computer for work-related activities. This is split by country. Further, this report details the list of work-related activities that remote workers regularly do with their home PC. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0113_hwrt] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile; Households; Activities; Work/Life Balance
Gen Z and millennial voices are heard, by assistants
Voice commands preceded the hype of AI with the promise that technology users would be able to get things done with their voices. Market reception was robust initially, then sagged, and has since returned to moderate levels among certain age groups. A skew toward higher market penetration among younger adults is apparent in the US and UK but less in Germany and China.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who use a voice assistant through their primary connected device – a smartphone, computer, tablet, or game console, divided by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0113_yvoi] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Consumer Electronics; User Profile; Activities; Technology Ecosystems; Wearables, Hearables, Listening, and Speaking
Employee PC hours sag, although IT/FIRE/Professional industries still lead
Employees in IT/FIRE/Professional use computers for the most hours – Many employees rely on PCs to get their work done, whether it’s using intensive software tailored to their profession or generic software used across many industries. The most intensive use of PCs among employees is within the IT/FIRE/Professional industries, those jobs that include Information Technology, Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, or professions such as legal, medical, or others. Other industries, such as the Service industries, account for the largest total PC hours mostly due to the many employees within their ranks. Across nearly all industries and countries surveyed, PC hours among employees has been declining.
This MetaFAQ reports on the mean and total number of weekly hours employees use PCs, split by industry group and country, detailing the trend from 2020 through 2023. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0104_firt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; User Profile
A large and growing share of online adults live alone
Many technology services have focused efforts on gaining subscriptions among families, including offering family plans that specifically reward households with many members. A sizable and growing share of the online population is excluded from those offers due to the growing share of adults living alone. In every country surveyed from 2017 to 2023, the share of online adults with only one person in the households is higher than ever.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults who live in a household of only one person, split by country: US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China’s and India’s upper-socioeconomic adults. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0111_alot] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households
Remote work rates vary by age and country
There is a global age skew towards few older adults working from home or remotely, although this pattern varies by country. In the US and Germany, the distribution is bimodal, with the highest share of not working remotely being among the youngest and oldest workers. For workers in the UK and China, the picture is different, with a stronger skew against older workers working remotely.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online workers who worked from home in the prior 30 days by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0111_ywfh] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance