Cell Phones Changing the Way People Access the Internet

Forty percent of adults in America use their cells phones to access the Internet, e-mail, or instant messaging, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. And while it is not yet the majority, it is a significant increase from the 32 percent of adults who used their cells phones this way in 2009.

In May 2010, 38 percent of people used their cell phones to access the Internet compared to 23 percent in April 2009. More people, 34 percent, are also using their cell phones to send or receive e-mail, increasing from 25 percent in April 2009. Using cell phones to send or receive instant messages increased by 10 percent in May 2010, up from 20 percent a year earlier.

While using cell phones to access the Internet has increased in general, it is more popular among some groups than others. The most active users of the mobile Web are African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos with cell phone ownership being higher among both races than among whites. Minority cell phone users also take advantage of more of their phones’ features, such as Internet access, compared with whites. But the most likely group to utilize the mobile Web are young adults ages 18 to 29, with 65 percent of them accessing the Web on their cell phones, 48 percent accessing social networking sites, and 33 percent having posted photos or videos online from their phones. In addition, 52 percent of young adults have used their phone to send or receive email and 46 percent have used instant message.

But young adults are not the only ones who are cell phone savvy. Other age groups are quickly catching on. Forty-three percent of cell phone owners in the 30 to 49 age group use their phone to access the Internet, compared to 18 percent in the 50 to 64 age group, and 10 percent in the 65 and older group. When it comes to posting photos or videos online, 15 percent of those in the 30 to 49 age group use their phones to do this, while only 5 percent in the 50 to 64 age group do. One of the most popular cell phone activities for these older age groups is the sending and receiving of e-mail, with 37 percent of those in the 30 to 49 age group utilizing this technology, 22 percent in the 50 to 64 age group, and 11 percent in the 65 and older age group.