Gadget Usage Varies By Generation

Ownership and usage of electronic devices varies significantly by generation, according to the Pew Research Center.

For example, while more than eight in 10 adults (85%) own cell phones, and 90% live in households with at least one working mobile phone, Millennial and Gen X adults use their phones very differently from Boomers and members of the Silent Generation. For some types of devices, there are also significant differences in ownership and usage habits of Millennials vs. Gen Xers.

Taking photos and sending/receiving texts are the most universally used mobile phone functions, apart from talking. More than half of all mobile phone owners under age 75 take photos with their phones. Texting is more widely used by adults ages 55 and younger, but about half of Older Boomers (ages 57-65) use it, too. 

Among all the devices studied by Pew — cell phones, desktop and laptop computers, MP3 players, game consoles, e-Book readers, and tablets — MP3 players show the widest split in ownership by age. Nearly three quarters of Millennials own iPods or other MP3 players, but fewer than half of adults over 50 do.

Millennials are the only generation more likely to own laptops than desktop computers. Interestingly, while there’s a sharp drop-off in ownership of MP3 players between Millennials and Gen Xers, the two groups are equally likely to own another type of entertainment device — gaming consoles.

There are few age differences in ownership of e-Book readers; income and education levels are more significant predictors of e-Book use.

Millennials are 57% more likely than adults of other ages to look at and/or respond to ads sent by text message, finds a separate study by GfK MRI. One in 10 Millennials who own cell phones have viewed ads sent via text messaging in the past 30 days, and 5% have responded to such ads or bought products via text during that time. By comparison, 6% of all mobile phone owners have looked at text ads and 3% have responded to them in the past 30 days.

The younger the mobile phone owner, the more likely he/she is to read or respond to text-message ads. Receptivity to text-messaging ads is also influenced by the owner’s relationship with his/her phone.

People who use text messaging regularly for communication, people who feel that their phones are extensions of their personalities, and those who are willing to receive ads on their phones in exchange for free services or discounts are more receptive to text-message advertising.

Interestingly, people who use their phones primarily for business are more receptive to these ads than those who use their phones mostly for personal use. [Computers/Electronics, Telecommunications, Demographics, Advertising]

Sources: “Generations and Their Gadgets, February 2011,” Pew Research Center, Internet & American Life Project, Kathryn Zickuhr, Web Coordinator, 1615 L St., NW, #700, Washington, DC 20036; 202-419-4500; kzickhur@pewinternet.org; www.pewinternet.org. Price: Available online at no charge.

“Survey of the American Consumer, Wave 63, March-October 2010,” GfK MRI, Anne Marie Kelly, SVP Marketing & Strategic Planning, 75 Ninth Ave., 5th Fl., New York, NY 10011; 212-884-9200; annemarie.kelly@gfkmri.com; www.gfkmri.com. Price: Contact for information.

 © Copyright 2011, EPM Communications, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of publisher.

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