The State of Mobile America Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet Project 3.16.12 NFAIS – Philadelphia / webinar Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.org Twitter: @Lrainie  

The Very Nature of Information Has Changed Information was… Information is… All around us Cheap or free Shaped and controlled by consumers and networks Designed for sharing, participation and feedback Immediate Embedded in our worlds Scarce Expensive Shaped and controlled by elites Designed for one-way, mass consumption Slow moving External to our worlds

What I think I know about the rise of mobile learning Mobile connectivity is changing social and information spaces by enhancing/enabling … New access points to knowledge Real-time information sharing Just-in-time searches Perpetual, pervasive awareness of social networks Augmented reality

What I think I know about the rise of mobile learning Ubiquitous small screens are changing attention and media zones (including text-based media!)

What I think I know about the rise of mobile learning Mobile connectivity is changing public and private space/time continuum

What I think I know about the rise of mobile learning New kinds of learners are emerging in the digital environment

Information is Woven Into Our Lives Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread Mobile… Moves information with us Makes information accessible ANYTIME and ANYWHERE Puts information at our fingertips Magnifies the demand for timely information Makes information location-sensitive Social Networks… Surround us with information through our many connections Bring us information from multiple, varied sources Provide instant feedback, meaning and context Allow us to shape and create information ourselves and amplify others’ messages

Overall, if you had to use one single word to describe how you feel about your cell phone, what would that one word be?

Mobile phones – 88% of adults 327.6 Total U.S. population: 315.5 million 2011

Mobile is the Needle: 88% of US Adults Have a Cell Phone % in each age group who have a cell phone Teen data July 2011 Adult data Feb 2012

Changes in smartphone ownership

Smartphones – 46%

56% of adults own laptops – up from 30% in 2006 52% of adults own DVRs – up from 3% in 2002 44% of adults own MP3 players – up from 11% in 2005 42% of adults own game consoles 19% of adults own e-book readers - Kindle 19% of adults own tablet computer - iPad

Cell phones as connecting tools % of cell owners 64% send photo or video Post video 25% 55% access social net. site 30% watch a video 11% have purchased a product 11% charitable donation by text 60% (of Twitter users) access Twitter 2/22/2011 16

Apps – 50% of adults

Apps downloaders by age

Apps: From Superhighway to Bypass Apps provide direct connections to information Based on August 2011 Pew Internet Tracking Survey

Mobile health 17% of cell owners have used their phone to look up health or medical information; 29% of cell owners ages 18-29 have done such searches. 9% of cell owners have software applications or “apps” on their phones that help them track or manage their health; 15% of those ages 18-29 have such apps.

Mobile politics - 26% of adults used cell phones for political purposes in 2010 14% used their cell phones to tell others that they voted 12% used their cell phones to keep up with political news 10% sent text messages relating to the election 6% used their cells to let others know about conditions at their local voting stations on election day 4% used their phones to monitor results on election night 3% used their cells to shoot/share photos/videos about election 1% used a cell-phone app that provided updates about election news 1% contributed money by text message Internet and Politics 3/9/2011 21

News and local news All adults 84% own a cell phone and/or tablet computer 47% get local news or information on their cell phone or tablet

Mobile local news topics

Instant action – Haiti earthquake donations

In-store purchasing decisions

How Phones Function In Our Lives % of US adult cell owners who had done each of the following in the past 30 days…

Thank you!