Since the Pew Internet and Research Center started tracking internet usage on mobile phones (back in 2009), the number of adult cell owners using their phones to go online has doubled, now reaching 63%. How many label their phone as the primary method for going online? Thirty-four percent of cell internet users, or 21% of all adult cell owners say the majority of their internet browsing happens via mobile phone.
“For many, such as younger adults or lower-income Americans, cell phones are often a primary device for accessing online content—a development that has particular relevance to companies and organizations seeking to reach these groups,” said Aaron Smith, a Senior Researcher at the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project.
According to the report, young adults, non-whites, and those with relatively low income and education levels were particularly likely to access the internet mostly via mobile phone:
- among those who use their phone to go online, 6 in 10 Hispanics and 43% of African-Americans are cell-mostly internet users, compared with 27% of whites
- half of cell internet users ages 18-29 mostly use their cell phone to go online
- 45% of cell internet users with a high school diploma or less mostly use their phone to go online, compared with only 21% of those with a college degree
- 45% of cell internet users living in households with an annual income of less than $30,000 mostly use their phone to go online, compared with 27% of those living in households with an annual income of $75,000 or more
The data is based on a national telephone survey conducted in April and May of 2013, among over 2,200 adults ages 18 and over.
