Smartphone use among teens a growing trend
It should come as no shocker that smartphone use among teens is increasing rapidly. In a world where parents are occupying their newborn children with iPhones and adolescents are getting their first cell phone at earlier and earlier ages, a growing prevalence of smartphones is expected (especially when cheap to free Android devices are rapidly replacing feature phones).
How much growth are we talking? In 2011, 23 percent of US teens owned a smartphone. In 2012 the number grew to 37 percent. 23 percent of teens use their phones for the majority of their internet access. That’s compared to only 15 percent of adults.
The survey conducted by Pew Research Center and American Life Project demonstrates that the smartphone is quickly phasing out the personal computer as the prime means of connectivity. Researcher Mary Madden notes that teens tend to be the trend setters for things like technology, internet use, and social media, so the data is not insignificant. As smartphones continue to dominate the mobile industry, their usage will become the norm rather than a luxury.
[via Reuters]