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.
Breadth of voice assistant usage
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, December 13, 2021
Actively using a voice assistant or smart speaker
- This analysis focuses on those people who are actively using a voice assistant or smart speaker
- Have used a connected device to use a voice assistant within the previous month
- Smartphone, PC, or tablet
- Have a smart speaker
- Have used a connected device to use a voice assistant within the previous month
- Base: all online adults
Active voice assistant usage by platform – US
- The overall use of a voice assistant or smart speaker has only slightly increased between 2019 and 2021
- Smart speaker usage has grown the most among American online adults, rising from 11% in 2019 to 19% in 2021
- Voice assistant usage with other connected devices has not changed markedly
- Voice assistant usage with a smartphone continues to outpace smart speaker use
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.
VR headset adoption
VR headsets are slowly and unsteadily working their way onto the heads of online adults. This TUPdate shows how penetration has expanded (and contracted) since 2018. By reviewing the activities that VR headset users do with their other connected devices – smartphones, PCs, tablets, or game consoles – this TUPdate profiles just who these VR headset early adopters are. Their creative, fun, collaborative, and educational activities point the way to possible hotspots of VR headset adoption.
Paid streaming music listening among socioeconomic groups
Listening to paid streaming music grew markedly among Americans, rising from 29% of online Americans in 2019 prior to the pandemic and reaching 36% in 2021. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of Americans regularly using their connected devices for paid streaming music by socioeconomic group. The groups being reported consider age group, employment status, household size, ethnicity, presence of children, educational attainment, and other socioeconomic factors.
Fun and games-devices versus consoles
Fun is a core activity drawing many people to use and enjoy their connected devices. While game consoles get a lot of focused attention, a substantially larger number of people regularly play games with their smartphones, PCs, and tablets. This MetaFAQs report details the number of adults playing games with connected devices as compared to those using game consoles. Furthermore, it splits these by age group.
Smart watch penetration among socioeconomic groups
Active use of a smartwatch grew strongly among Americans, rising from 20% of online Americans in 2018 prior to the pandemic and reaching 27% in 2021. Growth has not been uniform, however, as some groups have penetration of two-thirds where others are less than five percent. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of Americans regularly using a smartwatch by socioeconomic group. The groups being reported consider age group, employment status, household size, ethnicity, presence of children, educational attainment, and other socioeconomic factors.
User activities reveal ecosystem strengths
While some may argue that a smartphone is a smartphone regardless of its ecosystem, users beg to differ, as shown by their actions. This MetaFAQs profiles activity usage differences between iPhones and Android smartphones, Windows PCs, Apple Macs, and Chromebooks, and iPads, Android, and Windows tablets.