Use of the Internet and Smartphones is No Longer on the Rise in America (qz.com)

For years, the number of Americans who have reported using the internet, social media, and smartphones has been on a meteoric rise. But that rate has slowed to a near-stall. From a report: New data published this week by the Pew Research Center show that, since 2016, that number has plateaued, indicating those technologies have reached a saturation point among many groups of people. The percentage of Americans using smartphones (77%), the internet (88% to 89%), and social media (69%) has remained virtually unchanged during the last two years. "Put simply, in some instances there just aren't many non-users left," the report states.

More than 90% of adults younger than 50 report they use the internet or own a smartphone. This number squares with some of the trends noticed earlier this year by Gartner, a global research firm. The fourth quarter of 2017 marked the first time since 2004 that the market for smartphones declined globally compared to the prior year. People are less frequently buying new phones.

Comments

America has passed the point of peak literacy

[OrangeTide]

It's pretty simple. We won't see any improvement in smart phone and computer usage without advances in technology that cater to the needs of an increasingly illiterate or sub-literate population.

Oh come now

[cascadingstylesheet]

Surely we can get more growth by having internet connected tablets for pets or something.

Re:It's my fault

[dcw3]

I got a smartphone for my mom. She was the only person on the planet who didn't have one.

I didn't know that I had a brother! Have mom give me a call.