percent of the u.s. population used computers at work

There are also differences by educational attainment – 54% of adults who have some college experience own a game console, a higher share than college graduates (37%), high school graduates (35%) and those who have less than a high school diploma (21%). Those whose households earn less than $30,000 annually are less likely to own a game console – a third have one, compared with 54% of adults from households earning $75,000 or more a year. Today, 40% of adults report having a game console such as an Xbox or PlayStation. Game console ownership has remained consistent since Pew Research last polled about the device in 2010. Game console ownership is where it was in 2010 There are also differences based on age as well as race and ethnicity, with younger groups more likely than their older counterparts to report owning a laptop or desktop, and whites (79%) more likely than Hispanics (63%) and blacks (45%) to own one. This figure has fluctuated a bit in Pew Research findings over the years, but the 2015 finding is roughly similar to computer ownership levels of a decade ago – though slightly down from a high in 2012, when 80% of Americans said they had a desktop or laptop.Ĭollege graduates and those from higher-income households are particularly likely to own a computer. Ownership for traditional computers has remained stable. Desktop or laptop computers are where they were 10 years ago Whites are more likely than blacks and Hispanics to own an e-reading device, while ownership also tends to be higher among those who are more affluent and those with more education. Ownership of e-readers is somewhat more common among women (22%) than men (15%). This is a sizable drop from early 2014, when 32% of adults owned this type of device. Some 19% of adults report owning an e-reader – a handheld device such as a Kindle or Nook primarily used for reading e-books. Additionally, whites are more likely than Hispanics to own a tablet computer, while tablet ownership among blacks is not statistically different from that of whites or Hispanics. Younger adults and those from more affluent backgrounds are more likely to own the devices, and differences tied to educational attainment are particularly pronounced: 62% of college graduates have a tablet, compared with 35% of those with a high school diploma and 19% who have not completed high school. Tablet ownership varies across a number of demographic groups. Ownership, however, is statistically the same as it was in 2014. adults own a tablet – a substantial increase since Pew Research Center began measuring tablet ownership in 2010. The share of Americans who own a tablet computer has risen tenfold since 2010. Close to half of all Americans own a tablet Still, nearly nine-in-ten rural residents (87%) have them. Rural residents are slightly less likely than urban and suburban residents to have cellphones. Lower-income adults are less likely to own a cellphone. Some 78% of adults ages 65 and older own a cellphone, compared with 98% of 18- to 29-year-olds. Although cellphones are common today, the share of adults who own one has risen substantially since 2004, when 65% of Americans owned a mobile phone.Ĭellphone ownership is common across all major demographic groups, though older adults tend to lag behind their younger counterparts. Cellphones near saturation levels for some groupsįully 92% of American adults own a cellphone, which is similar to the 90% of the public who reported owning these mobile devices in 2014. There are no differences in smartphone ownership among different racial and ethnic groups.

On the other hand, those ages 18 to 49 and those in higher-income households are coming closer and closer to saturation adoption. Only those ages 65 and older (30% of whom own smartphones) and those who do not have a high school education (41% own smartphones) fall below majority ownership. More than half of most demographic groups have a smartphone. At that point, 35% of adults had smartphones. Fully 68% of adults now have a smartphone, nearly double the share that Pew Research Center measured in its first survey on smartphone ownership in mid-2011. It has changed the way people reach their friends, obtain data and media, and share their lives. The rise of the smartphone has had a major social, political and cultural impact. For each type of device, the demographic makeup of owners can vary widely, so this section looks at these differences. From getting news to playing games to reading a book, Americans now have a plethora of devices to choose from in order to meet their technology-based needs.

Percent of the u.s. population used computers at work