Internet Connectivity

Most think social media has made it easier to manipulate and divide people, but they also say it informs and raises awareness.

Rural adults are less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Black and Hispanic Americans remain less likely than White adults to say they own a traditional computer or have high-speed internet at home.

Smartphone ownership and home broadband adoption are up slightly since 2019. And 30% of Americans say they at least sometimes experience problems connecting to the internet at home.

Some 15% of all home broadband users in the U.S. say they have had trouble paying for their high-speed internet service during the pandemic.

The internet represents a fundamental shift in how Americans connect with one another, gather information and conduct their day-to-day lives. Explore the patterns, trends and statistics of internet and home broadband adoption in the United States.

Today, 25% of adults ages 65 and older report never going online, compared with much smaller shares of adults under the age of 65.

The share of U.S. adults who now report that they go online “almost constantly” has risen to 31%, up from 21% in 2015.

A median of 77% across 34 countries surveyed use the internet at least occasionally or own an internet-enabled smartphone.

Note: For the latest survey data on home broadband adoption and smartphone use, see “Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021” As the share of Americans who say they own a smartphone has increased dramatically over the past decade – from 35% in 2011 to 81% in 2019 – a new Pew Research Center survey finds that […]