When the coronavirus outbreak led to widespread shutdowns and stay-at-home orders throughout the country in March, many Americans were forced to adapt and shift parts of their daily routines. Some of these adaptations have relied heavily on technology – including adults working from home and students engaging in online learning.
Pew Research Center has studied Americans’ attitudes about the role and effectiveness of various technologies and their views about digital privacy and data collection as it relates to the pandemic. Here is what we found.
A month into the COVID-19 outbreak, 87% of U.S. adults said the internet had been at least important for them personally during the outbreak, including 53% who deemed the internet as “essential” for them personally, according to an April survey.
And, dependence on the internet and mobile phones raised concerns about affordability. 28% of broadband users said in April they worried a lot or some about paying their home broadband bill over the next few months.
Also, the pandemic highlighted concerns about the digital divide due to school closures and the shift to online learning. About six-in-ten lower-income parents with children whose schools closed in the spring said it was at least somewhat likely that their child would face at least one digital obstacle while doing their schoolwork at home during the coronavirus outbreak.