People use connected devices to be productive, actively engaging in a broad set of activities spread among their various devices. The use of smartphones for productivity is growing while the use of computers has flattened or is even in decline. Younger adults have embraced productivity activities, although Gen X and millennials use different types of devices to get things done.
This MetaFAQs reports on the number and percentage of online adults who regularly perform a set of productivity activities, from work file collaboration to appointment scheduling. These results are further split by mean age and generation and trended by age and device type for Americans from 2020 through 2023. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0126_prod] in TUP Lenses: Activities, Mobile Phones, PCs, User Profile, Devices, Communication
Gen Z’s lead in online teamwork may transform the workplace
Digital collaboration has expanded over a decade, with newer generations adopting online teamwork swiftly. Gen Z, especially in the US and UK, actively collaborates on personal files, more so than for work. Current workplace practices limit their broader collaboration. Yet, they might pave the way for enhanced collaborative tool usage in the future.
This MetaFAQs reports on the use of connected device to collaborate on files, splitting the activity by work-related and personal files, and splitting further into generational age groups and countries. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1209_coll] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Activities; Work/Life Balance
Work follows employees home, although less so than last year
Home computers – those acquired with personal funds – are used by most employees for work-related activities. Americans and employees in Germany, the UK, Japan, and China peaked in 2021 and subsided in 2022. This MetaFAQs reports on employees using a home computer for work-related activities. It details the work activities with home computers, from communication to collaboration and productivity. As a historical contrast, it includes comparable results from the 1987 TUP/Technology User Profile wave.
Trends in webcam and video calls/meetings usage
Are video calls and meetings as widespread as tech media implies? How much have webcams and video calls and meetings reached into the everyday experience of the average online adult? This MetaFAQs reports on the usage trend since before the pandemic for online adults in the US, the UK, Germany, and Japan. It further splits video calling/conferencing by smartphone, home PC, or work PC. Furthermore, because change has not affected everyone the same, it details the trend among life stage segments – employment status, age group, and presence of children.
Profile of Americans who regularly participate in video meetings
After the emergence of COVID and the rise of increasingly hybrid and remote work environments–are video meetings the new normal? 38% of all online American adults, or 83.8 million, regularly participate in video meetings. This MetaFAQs profiles those who regularly participate in video meetings by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age and gender; employment status; life stage (age, employment status, presence of children); the number of PCs used and technology ecosystem entrenchment. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0722_mode] in TUP Lenses: Activities, Communication.
Profile of Americans who regularly participate in video calls
As video plays an increasing role in our daily lives across social media and other communication platforms, it’s no surprise that video calls are also becoming more and more mainstream. 55% of all online American adults report regularly participating in video calls. This MetaFAQs profiles regular video call participants by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age and gender; employment status; life stage (age, employment status, presence of children); and technology ecosystem entrenchment. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0715_mode] in TUP Lenses: Activities, Communication.
Highlights: Activities
What we do paints a richer picture than what we carry or own. All computers are not used the same and nor are smartphones or tablets. Each user has their preference about how they spend their time. Also, each user expresses their choices about which connected devices they turn to for each type of activity. While some see their tablets as passive movie screens, others rely on them as communication hubs. Some users prefer to shop on a computer, while others rely more on their smartphones.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: main activities across all tech devices, major activities for each device type, activities unique to which device type, cross-device activities, the profile of activity type users, major activities for a market segment, home entertainment activities, the profile by key activities, and listening activities.
Communication TUP Lens Highlights
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.
Devices used for work group chats
Work-related group chats/discussions such as with Slack or Microsoft Teams have grown to become part of many employees’ lives. Nearly half of American and one-third of Japanese employees use one of these collaborative communication platforms. This MetaFAQs reports on the number of employees regularly using their connected devices for work-related group chats/discussions, detailing each device type used – smartphone, home PC, work PC, or tablet – by the size of their employer: <20 employees, 20-499 employees, or 500+ employees.
Communication activities by age group
Among the many ways people use their connected devices, communication remains central to most users’ activities. Communication became more important than ever as employees working from home sought to collaborate and meet during the pandemic. Simultaneously, people not employed outside the home reached out for connections and information. From video calls to group meetings such as using Zoom or Microsoft Teams, many users shifted their communication patterns and adopted new tools. This MetaFAQs report details the market penetration of regular use of many types of communication tools across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan, each split by age group.