Pew Internet & American Life Project's Press Releases
The Pew Internet and American Life Project aims to be an authoritative source for timely information on the Internet's growth and societal impact, through research that is scrupulously impartial.
Updated: 9 hours 28 min ago
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 12:00am
WASHINGTON, September 24, 2008 â A new national survey shows that 62% of adults who are currently employed use the internet or email at work and they have mixed views about the impact of technology on their work lives.
On the one hand, they cite the benefits of increased connectivity and flexibility that the internet and all of their various gadgets afford them at work. On the other hand, many workers say these tools have added stress and new demands to their lives.
This survey also finds that 96% of those who work use the internet, email or have a cell phone for some purpose in their lives, even if those things are not specifically tied to work. We call this larger group "Wired and Ready Workers." When they are asked about the impact of these technologies on their work lives:
80% say these technologies have improved their ability to do their job.
73% say these technologies have improved their ability to share ideas with co-workers.
58% say these tools have allowed them more flexibility in the hours they work.
At the same time, Wired and Ready Workers note various negative impacts of information and communications technologies on their work lives:
49% say these technologies increase the level of stress in their job.
49% say these technologies make it harder for them to disconnect from their work when they are at home and on the weekends.
46% say these tools increase demands that they work more hours.
"American workers have a love-hate relationship with technology," said Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist with the Pew Research Centerâs Internet and American Life Project and co-author of the report. "Along with the benefits of increased connectivity comes a host of new issues into workersâ lives. How do you strike a work-life balance when you are always reachable by the boss? What counts as overtime work when you are 'on the clock' at all hours? How much personal online browsing can you do while you are sitting in your cubicle? These challenges pervade many work places today."
The "Networked Workers" data comes from a national sample of 2,134 adults ages 18 and older, fielded between March 27, 2008 and April 14, 2008. Some 1,482 respondents in the survey were internet users and the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on internet users.
One of the major impacts of the internet and cell phones is that they have enabled more people to do work at least occasionally from home. Some 45% of employed Americans report doing at least some work from home and 18% of working Americans say they do job-related tasks at home almost daily.
The survey found that those who are most tethered to work are more likely to say that their gadgets and connectivity have had some negative impacts:
59% of Wired and Ready Workers who hold professional and managerial positions say communications technologies have increased demands that they work more hours, as do 56% of those who already work more than 40 hours per week.
63% of those who own Blackberries and PDAs feel as though gadgets and connectivity increase demands that they work more hours, and 30% feel as though these demands have increased "a lot."
"Email is still the primary artery of workplace communications in many professions, and it has clearly started to spill over into personal life," said Sydney Jones, co-author and Research Assistant for the Pew Internet Project. "Over time, workers have become more likely to check their email outside of normal working hours, and many are expected to do so by their employer."
Some 22% of employed email users say they are expected to read and respond to work-related emails, even when they are not at work. Blackberry and PDA owners are more than twice as likely to report that their employer expects that they will stay tuned in to email outside of the office. Fully 48% say they are required to read and respond to email when they are away from work.
50% of employed email users say they check their work-related email on the weekends. Fully 22% say that they check their work email accounts "often" during weekend hours, compared with 16% who reported the same in 2002.
46% of employed email users say they check email when they have to take a sick day; 25% say they do so "often."
34% of employed email users say they will at least occasionally check their email while on vacation; 11% say they do so "often."
Tue, 09/16/2008 - 12:00am
WASHINGTON, September 16, 2008 â The first national survey of its kind finds that virtually all American teens play computer, console, or cell phone games and that the gaming experience is rich and varied, with a significant amount of social interaction and potential for civic engagement. The survey was conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, an initiative of the Pew Research Center and was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The primary findings in the survey of 1,102 youth ages 12-17 include â
Game playing is universal, with almost all teens playing games and at least half playing games on a given day.
97% of American teens ages 12-17 play some kind of video game.
99% of boys say they are gamers and 94% of girls report that they play games.
Game playing experiences are diverse, with the most popular games falling into the racing, puzzle, sports, action and adventure categories.
A typical teen plays at least five different categories of games and 40% of them play eight or more different game types.
While some teens play violent video games, those who play violent games generally also play non-violent games.
Game playing is social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time.
76% of gaming teens play games with others at least some of the time.
82% play games alone at least occasionally, though 71% of this group also plays games with others.
65% of gaming teens play with others in the same room.
Game playing can incorporate many aspects of civic and political life.
76% of youth report helping others while gaming.
44% report playing games where they learn about a problem in society.
Game playing sometimes involves exposure to mature content, with almost a third of teens playing games that are listed as appropriate only for people older than they are.
32% of youth 12-16 in this sample play games that are listed as appropriate only for people older than they are.
32% of gaming teens report that at least one of their favorite games is rated Mature or Adults Only.
12-14 year olds are equally as likely to play Mature and Adults Only rated games as their 15-17 year old counterparts.
"The stereotype that gaming is a solitary, violent, anti-social activity just doesnât hold up. The average teen plays all different kinds of games and generally plays them with friends and family both online and offline," said Amanda Lenhart, author of a report on the survey and a Senior Research Specialist with the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which conducted the survey. "Gaming is a ubiquitous part of life for both boys and girls. For most teens, gaming runs the spectrum from blow-âem-up mayhem to building communities; from cute-and-simple to complex; from brief private sessions to hoursâ long interactions with masses of others."
A focus of the survey was the relationship between gaming and civic experiences among teens. The goal was to test concerns that gaming might be prompting teens to withdraw from their communities. It turns out there is clear evidence that gaming is not just an entertaining diversion for many teens; gaming can be tied to civic and political engagement. Indeed, youth have many experiences playing games that mirror aspects of civic and political life, such as thinking about moral and ethical issues and making decisions about city and/or community affairs.
Not only do many teens help others or learn about a problem in society during their game playing, they also encounter other social and civic experiences:
52% of gamers report playing games where they think about moral and ethical issues.
43% report playing games where they help make decisions about how a community, city or nation should be run.
40% report playing games where they learn about a social issue.
Moreover, the survey indicates that youth who have these kinds of civic gaming experiences are more likely to be civically engaged in the offline world. They are more likely than others are to go online to get information about current events, to try to persuade others how to vote in an election, to say they are committed to civic participation, and to raise money for charity.
"We need to focus less on how much time kids spend playing video games and pay more attention to the kinds of experiences they have while playing them," noted Prof. Joseph Kahne, Director of the Civic Engagement Research Group at Mills College, and co-author of the report. "Games that simulate aspects of civic and political life may well promote civic skills and civic engagement. Youth, parents, teachers, and others who work with youth should know about the wide diversity of video games â so they can take full advantage of games and their civic potential."
The study also found that these civic gaming experiences occurred equally among all kinds of game players regardless of family income, race, and ethnicity. These data stand in contrast to teensâ experiences in schools and others community situations, where white and higher-income youth typically have more opportunities for civic development.
"Digital media and specifically games are a robust part of the lives of young people," explains Connie Yowell, Director of Education at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which is funding a $50 million initiative to help determine how digital media are changing how young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. "This study offers us a glimpse into the potential of these new tools to foster learning and civic engagement, yet the findings about mature content suggest that parents and other adults need to be involved in young peopleâs game play, helping to realize the potential benefits while moderating unintended consequences. We see these results as the beginning of an important discussion about the role of digital media in learning, community, and citizenship in the 21st century."
The Mills College Civic Engagement Research Group has also separately issued a white paper that looks in a more detailed way at the civics findings and provides implications for parents, educators, game designers and others related to the civic potential of video game play.
Fri, 09/12/2008 - 12:00am
Washington, DC â Some 69% of online Americans use webmail services, store data online, or use software programs such as word processing applications whose functionality is located on the web.
In doing so, these users are making use of âcloud computing,â an emerging architecture by which data and applications reside in cyberspace, allowing users to access them through any web-connected device.
Online users who take advantage of âcloudâ applications say they like the convenience of having access to data and applications from any Web-connected device. At the same time, however, they express high levels of concerns about storing personal data online when presented with scenarios about possible uses of their data by companies providing cloud services.
âEven as large numbers of users turn to âcloud computingâ applications, many may lack a full understanding of possible consequences of storing personal data online,â said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project and author of the report. âThese findings give consumers, the technology community, and policymakers a chance to discuss the trade offs between convenience and privacy and figure out where there are needs for education to improve public understanding.â
Below is a rundown of the share of internet users who have done a select set of online activities that involve storing data online or accessing applications in cyberspace.
56% of internet users use webmail services such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! Mail.
34% store personal photos online.
29% use online applications such as Google Documents or Adobe Photoshop Express.
7% store personal videos online.
5% pay to store computer files online.
5% back up hard drive to an online site.
Overall, 69% of online users have done at least one of these six activities, with 40% of internet users having done at least two of them.
Convenience and flexibility are the watchwords for those who engage in at least one of the cloud computing activities listed above:
51% of internet users who have done a cloud computing activity say a major reason they do this is that it is easy and convenient.
41% of cloud users say a major reason they use these applications is that they like being able to access their data from whatever computer they are using.
39% cite the ease of sharing information as a major reason they use applications in cyberspace or store data there.
At the same time, users report high levels of concern when presented with scenarios in which companies may put their data to uses of which they may not be aware.
90% of cloud application users say they would be very concerned if the company at which their data were stored sold it to another party.
80% say they would be very concerned if companies used their photos or other data in marketing campaigns.
68% of users of at least one of the six cloud applications say they would be very concerned if companies who provided these services analyzed their information and then displayed ads to them based on their actions.
The âcloud computingâ data comes from a survey of 2,251 adults between April 8, 2008 and May 11, 2008. Some 1,553 respondents in the survey were internet users and the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on internet users.
The Pew Internet Project is a project of the Pew Research Center.
Contact: John B. Horrigan, 202-419-4500.
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 12:00am
Washington, DC â Some 55% of all adult Americans now have a high-speed internet connection at home, according to a May 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The percentage of Americans with broadband at home has grown from 47% in early 2007 and 42% in early 2005. Among individuals who use the internet at home, 79% have a high-speed connection while 15% use dialup.
The 17% growth rate from 2007 to 2008 represents is comparable to the 12% growth rate recorded in the 2006 to 2007 timeframe. However, several groups exhibited little or no growth in broadband adoption at home from 2007 to 2008:
Among adults who live in households whose annual incomes are less than $20,000 annually, home broadband adoption stood at 25% in early 2008, compared with 28% in 2007.
Among African Americans, home broadband adoption stood at 43% in May 2008 compared with 40% in early 2007.
âThe flat growth in home high-speed adoption for low-income Americans suggests that tightening household budgets may be affecting peopleâs choice of connection speed at home,â said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of Research at the Pew Internet and American Life project and author of the report. âBroadband is more costly on a monthly basis than dial-up, and some lower income Americans may be unwilling to take on another expense.â
Nonetheless, several groups exhibited strong growth in home broadband adoption from 2007 to 2008, namely:
Older Americans: Those age 50 and over experienced a 26% growth rate in home broadband adoption from 2007 to 2008. Half of Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 have broadband at home. Some 19% of those 65 and older had home broadband access as of April 2008.
Lower-middle income Americans: Those with household incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 annually saw broadband penetration grow by 24% from 2007 to 2008. Some 45% of those in that income range reported having broadband at home in April 2008.
Rural Americans: 38% of those living in rural American now have broadband at home, compared with 31% who said this in 2007, or a growth rate of 23% from 2007 to 2008.
While broadband adoption for low-income Americans has been flat, many broadband users show a willingness to pay more for broadband in order to get faster speeds. Some 29% of home broadband users say they subscribe to a more costly premium broadband service in order to have a faster home high-speed experience. A few even have fiber optic connections at home â 2% of broadband users say they have fiber at home.
The Pew Internet study also explores the reasons why many Americans â either dial-up users or non-internet users â do not have high-speed internet connections at home. Among the 10% of Americans (or 15% of home internet users) with dial-up at home:
35% of dial-up users say that the price of broadband service would have to fall.
19% of dial-up users said nothing would convince them to get broadband.
10% of dial-up users â and 15% of dial-up users in rural America â say that broadband service would have to become available where they.
Overall, 62% of dial-up users say they are not interested in switching from dial-up to broadband.
Americans who are not online â 27% of adults who do not use the internet â are likely to be older (their median age is 61) and have low incomes. When non-internet users are asked why they donât use the internet, here is what they say:
33% of non-users say they are not interested.
12% say they donât have access.
9% say it is too difficult or frustrating.
7% say it is too expensive.
7% say it is a waste of time.
âEconomic factors play a large role in why some people donât have broadband, but about one in ten non-broadband users say that service isnât available where they live,â said Horrigan. âBeyond price and availability, some non-broadband users simply donât see the need for having a high-speed connection at home.â
Other key findings from the survey are:
Price of service:
Broadband users report an average monthly bill of $34.50 for high-speed service, 4% lower than the $36 reported by broadband users in December 2005.
Dial-up users report a montly bill of $19.70 for service, an increase of 9% over the $18 figure reported in December 2005.
Always connected users: Some 34% of online users say they have gone online away from home or work using a WiFi connection on their laptop. Among this group:
64% say they use free WiFi services when they do this.
58% use WiFi in public places such as an airport or coffee shop.
The Pew Internet Projectâs report on broadband adoption is based on the Projectâs April-May 2008 survey of 2,251 adults, 1,153 of whom were home broadband users. The Pew Internet Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit âfact tankâ that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Pew Internet explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project is nonpartisan and takes no position on policy issues.
|
