The Civic and Community Engagement of Religiously Active Americans
Religiously active Americans are more tied to many civic and other organizations than non-religious Americans. Many report that their use of technology helps them in their group activities.
Where People Get Information About Restaurants and Other Local Businesses
People looking for information about local restaurants and other businesses say they rely on the internet, especially search engines, ahead of any other source.
Why Americans Use Social Media
The top reason cited by adults for using social media is to maintain connections with family and friends. Social media users also say these platforms help connect them to old friends with whom they’ve lost touch.
Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites
A comprehensive study finds that almost seven-in-ten American teens who use social networking sites say that people their age are mostly kind to one another on the sites; another 20% say that they are mostly unkind. Most teens say they have witnessed other people being mean or cruel to each other on the sites.
Half of Adult Cell Phone Owners Have Apps on Their Phones
The share of adult cell phone owners who have downloaded an app to their phone nearly doubled in the past two years – rising from 22% in September 2009 to 38% in August 2011.
A Third of Text Message Users Prefer Them to Voice Calls
About three-in-ten text message users prefer texting to voice calls, and young adults stand out in their use of text messaging.
28% of U.S. Adults Use Mobile and Social Location-Based Services
Just over half of smartphone owners use their phones to get directions or recommendations based on their location; geosocial services and location-tagging features are less popular.
65% of Online Adults Use Social Networking Sites
Two-thirds of adult internet users (65%) now say they use a social networking site like MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn. That’s more than double the percentage that reported social networking site usage in 2008.
Americans and Their Cell Phones
Mobile phones have become a near-ubiquitous tool for information-seeking and communicating: 83% of American adults own some kind of cell phone. While cellphones are useful for a wide variety of tasks, owners say they also come with some disadvantages.
Search and Email Still the Most Popular Online Activities
As they have done for nearly a decade, email and search form the core of online communication and online information gathering, respectively, even as new platforms, broadband and mobile devices continue to reshape the way Americans use the internet and web.
