Examining more than a decade of data on the social impact of technology in America, Pew Internet Research Analyst Kathryn Zickuhr discussed the patterns and trends shaping the new messaging realities of the digital age at the WSU Elliott School of Communications’ annual Comm Week conference.

1. Mobile is the needle;
Social is the thread
Wichita State University
Elliott School of Communications
October 18, 2012
Kathryn Zickuhr, Research Analyst
Pew Research Center

2. Kathryn Zickuhr
Research Analyst
Pew Research Center’s
Internet & American Life Project
kzickuhr@pewinternet.org
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
@pewresearch

3. About Pew Internet
• Part of the Pew Research Center, a non-
partisan “fact tank” in Washington, DC
• Studies how people use digital
technologies
• Does not promote specific technologies
or make policy recommendations

4. About Pew Internet
• Data for this talk is from nationally
representative telephone surveys of U.S.
adults and teens
– In English and Spanish
– On landlines and cell phones
• All slides and reports are available at
pewinternet.org

5. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
How information is woven into our lives
Mobile = pervasive
– “Always-on”
– Information is instant, portable, location-aware
Social = powerful
– Nodes and networks (not linear)
– Information is personalized, participatory

6. Internet use over time (1995-2012)
% of adults ages 18+ who go online
90%
82%
80%
(April
70% 2012)
50%
60%
(2000)
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 14% (June 1995)
0%
Source: Pew Internet surveys

7. Internet use over time (1995-2012)
% of adults ages 18+ who go online
90%
82%
80%
(April
70% 2012)
50%
60%
(2000)
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 14% (June 1995)
0%
Source: Pew Internet surveys

8. Source:
archive.org

9. Source:
archive.org

10. Source:
archive.org

11. Internet use in the U.S. in 2000
Slow, stationary connections built around a
desktop computer:
• 46% of U.S. adults used the internet
• 5% of adults had home broadband connections
• 53% owned a cell phone
• 0% connected to internet wirelessly
• 0% used social network sites
Information flowed mainly one way
Information consumption was a stationary activity

12. Internet use in the U.S. in 2012
Mobile devices have fundamentally changed the
relationship between information, time, & space:
• 85% of U.S. adults use the internet, three-
quarters of whom are online on any given day
• 2/3 of adults have broadband at home
• 85% have a cell phone; 45% use smartphones
• 25% have a tablet computer
• 2/3 are wireless internet users Information is
now portable,
• 66% of online adults use social participatory,
network sites and personal

13. 65% of online adults—and 80% of
online teens—use social network sites
100%
90%
80% 87%
70% 80%
60% 68%
50%
40% 49%
30%
20% 29%
10%
0%
12-17 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet surveys. pewinternet.org

14. 65% of online adults—and 80% of
online teens—use social network sites
100%
90%
80% 87%
70% 80%
60% 68%
50%
40% 49%
30%
20% 29%
10%
0%
12-17 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet surveys. pewinternet.org

15. Cell phone ownership, 2004-2012
100%
90% 85%
Sept
80%
2012
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Source: Pew Internet surveys. Data is for adults age 18+. pewinternet.org

16. 85% of U.S. adults have a cell phone
100% 95%
91%
83%
80%
65%
60%
40%
20%
0%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet survey, Sept 2012 pewinternet.org

17. 45% of adults have smartphones
100%
90%
80%
70% 66%
59%
60%
50%
40% 34%
30%
20%
11%
10%
0%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet survey, Sept 2012 pewinternet.org

18. Text 73%
Take photos 73%
Send photos/videos 54%
Access internet 44%
What Email 38%
people do Play game
with their
35%
phones Play music 34%
Social networking 29%
% of adult cell
owners who use Bank online 18%
their phones to… Use Twitter 6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

19. Why we use social network sites
Major Reason Minor Reason Not a reason
Staying in touch with current friends 67 24 9
Staying in touch with family 64 23 13
Reconnecting with old friends 50 36 13
Connecting with others with shared interests 14 35 50
Making new friends 9 34 57
Reading comments by public figures 5 20 74
Finding romantic/dating partners 3 13 84
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

20. % of online adults who use each social
media service
70%
60% 66%
50%
40%
30%
20%
20%
10% 16% 5%
12% 12%
0%
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Instagram Tumblr
For more information: August 2012 survey.
http://pewrsr.ch/Pew-Pinterest Data is for adults age 18+.

21. Creators and curators
46% of adult internet users post
original photos or videos online that
they themselves have created
41% of adult internet users repost
photos or videos that they have found
online
(…and 32% do both) August 2012 survey.
Data is for adults age 18+.

22. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
How information is woven into our lives
Mobile technology… Social network sites…
Surround us with information through
Always with us
our many connections
Makes information accessible
Connect us to strong & weak ties
anytime and anywhere
Puts information & connections Provide instant feedback, meaning
at our fingertips and context
Magnifies the demand for timely
information (on-demand) Allow us to shape and create
information ourselves and amplify
Makes information location- others’ messages
sensitive

23. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

24. What does
it mean to
“go online”?

25. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

26. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

27. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

28. % of online adults who use each social
media service
70%
60% 66%
50%
40%
30%
20%
20%
10% 16% 5%
12% 12%
0%
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Instagram Tumblr
For more information: August 2012 survey.
http://pewrsr.ch/Pew-Pinterest Data is for adults age 18+.

29. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

30. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

31. % of online adults who use each social
media service
70%
60% 66%
50%
40%
30%
20%
20%
10% 16% 5%
12% 12%
0%
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Instagram Tumblr
For more information: August 2012 survey.
http://pewrsr.ch/Pew-Pinterest Data is for adults age 18+.

32. 45% of adults have smartphones
100%
90%
80%
70% 66%
59%
60%
50%
40% 34%
30%
20%
11%
10%
0%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet survey, Sept 2012 pewinternet.org

33. 56% of adults don’t have smartphones
100%
89%
90%
80%
70% 66%
60%
50%
41%
40% 34%
30%
20%
10%
0%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet survey, Sept 2012 pewinternet.org

34. 15% of adults don’t have cell phones
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40% 35%
30%
20% 17%
9%
10% 5%
0%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Source: Pew Internet survey, Sept 2012 pewinternet.org

35. Mobile is the needle; social is the thread
• "The Internet" = harder to define
• The way people get news & information today is
personalized, participatory, portable—and highly social.
• Credibility is complicated. Transparency is important.
• Each platform has a different audience, different tone
• Some voices are louder than others
• Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or Tumblr…)

36. Thank you!
Kathryn Zickuhr
Research Analyst
Pew Internet & American Life Project
kzickuhr@pewinternet.org
@kzickuhr @pewinternet @pewresearch
All data, slides, and reports available at
pewinternet.org