The rapid adoption of cell phones and especially the spread of internet-connected smartphones are changing people’s communications with others and their relationships with information.

According to a survey done this spring – a few months before the start of the summer Olympics now underway — 23% of all cell phone owners say they looked up a sports score within the past 30 days on their phones. That jumps to 39% among those with smartphones.

About half of smartphone users say they recently used their phone to coordinate a gathering (50%), solve an unexpected problem (47%), decide whether to visit a business (49%) or find information to settle an argument (46%).

A third (33%) say they used their smartphone in the previous 30 days to get up-to-the minute information on traffic or public transit, while 20% say they used their smartphone to get help in an emergency situation. Read More

Topic
Smartphones
Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.