American online seniors aged 75 and older are more active and numerous than may be expected, accounting for ten million Americans. This TUPdate reports on the mixture of connected devices in active use – home PCs, smartphones, tablets, and feature phones, and how many of these they actively use. It also shows which activities these busy seniors do with their devices and how many regularly conduct the given activity. Furthermore, this TUPdate describes which consumer electronics are being used for entertainment purposes and the share of this segment that use wearables or smart homes.
Technology profile of alone American seniors
Online Americans aged 65 and older and who live alone are one of many socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. During the pandemic, many have been adversely affected by not having robust technology such as can be used for communication or delivery of food or medicine. This TUP analysis reports on this group and which active connected devices they use, how many they regularly use, how intensively they use them, and their work from home status.
Game console use among socioeconomic groups
Just over one-third of online American adults regularly use a game console. Penetration rates vary widely between socioeconomic groups, with American IT employees having some of the highest rates and seniors aged 75 and higher having some of the lowest. This MetaFAQs reports on the penetration of game consoles by major socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged groups.
Highlights: Devices
There has been a sea change in which connected devices people use as well as how they use them. This TUP Highlights report details the trends in device ownership, the shifts between technology ecosystems, and market penetration levels. It spells out the major activities for each type of device, and how usage has changed. Furthermore, it details how many employees use personal devices for remote work.
Online banking among socioeconomic groups
Using smartphones, PCs, or other connected devices for online banking is widespread, but not ubiquitous. Fewer American adults with lower income or less educational attainment use online banking than those with higher income or technically savvy. This MetaFAQs reports on the active usage of online banking among socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged groups, each defined by a combination of household income, educational attainment, homeownership, ethnicity, age, employment status, racial/ethnic identity, and other factors.
On-device video and movie watching among socioeconomic groups
Smartphones, tablets, and PCs are increasingly used to watch movies and videos. However, it is a regressive activity, being done more often among socioeconomically disadvantaged than advantaged groups. This MetaFAQs reports on the share of Americans regularly using their connected devices to watch movies and videos both before the pandemic (TUP 2019) and through 2021. The groups being reported consider age group, employment status, household size, ethnicity, presence of children, educational attainment, and other socioeconomic factors.
Mobile Phones TUP Lens
Smartphones have rapidly, although not completely, replaced feature phones. Smartphone users have expanded their range of activities with new uses while also increasingly migrating activities from computers and tablets. This TUP Highlights Report profiles smartphones – their market penetration, user demographic profile, regular activities, usage profile, key competitors, and purchase plans.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: penetration of smartphones versus feature phones, smartphone brand share, top activities for smartphones, smartphone carrier share, smartphone usage profile, trends in technology ecosystems, major activities for a market segment, and the profile of smartphone users.
Home printer use among socioeconomic groups
Among socioeconomically advantaged groups of American online adults, the use of home printers has grown between 2018 and 2021. Nationwide, however, and especially among disadvantaged groups, home printer use has declined. This MetaFAQs reports on the active use of home printers by American socioeconomic groups. The groups being reported consider age group, employment status, household size, ethnicity, presence of children, educational attainment, and other socioeconomic factors.
Highlights: Printers
Who’s printing—and what are they printing? TUP Highlights include a broad and deep dive into an essential technology usage topic.
This highlights report focuses on printers, including: top printer brands, purchase plans for printers, top printing activities, profile of intensive printer users, ink use, trends in printing, major activities for a market segment, top printer form factors, and profile of printer user by activity. The research results showcase the TUP/Technology User Profile study, MetaFacts’ survey of a representative sample of online adults profiling the full market’s use of technology products and services during the wave of TUP/Technology User Profile 2021, which is TUP’s 39th annual. TUP Highlights typically also include results from previous waves of TUP.
Don’t let seniors fool you as they Zoom from behind [TUPdate, MetaFacts Pulse Survey]
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, May 5, 2020
Ageism is widespread in the tech industry. Many younger computer experts had a good laugh when a recent call went out for COBOL programmers, piling snark on classic tools as passe. That was until these relative newbies realized how many citizens would be left waiting for financial support after the recent surge in demand for unemployment checks. Younger computer experts were even more chagrined when they heard about the hiring bonuses being offered and realized they did not have relevant skills.