Mobile phone owners like the convenience and ease of connectivity, but rue that they can be interrupted more easily, have to pay the bills, and face bad connections. 

Some 85% of American adults now own a cell phone of some kind, and these devices mean many things to their owners: an always-available link to friends and family, a pocket computer, or a time-saving tool — even an actual telephone. When asked to describe in their own words what they like most about owning a cell phone:

• 17% of cell owners say the best thing about their phone is that it is convenient.
• 12% like the ability to call or talk with others at any time.
• 11% like that their cell phone can help them get assistance in an emergency.
• 9% say that using the internet, email, or apps is the best thing about their mobile phone.
• 8% cite the ability to connect with family.

The word cloud below illustrates some of the more common responses to this question:

However, the convenience and constant connectivity that these mobile devices offer also comes with a downside in the form of annoyances, interruptions, and cost. When asked what they like least about owning a cell phone:

• 24% of cell owners say that the worst thing about cell ownership is that they are constantly available and can be reached at any time.
• 15% say that the cost of cell ownership is the thing they like least.
• 12% cite problems with bad reception, poor signal, or dropped calls.
• 8% cite problems with battery life as the thing they like the least.
• 8% point to interruptions from telemarketers and other unwanted callers as their primary annoyance.

The word cloud below illustrates some of the more common complaints:

Overall, cell owners are far more likely to view their phone as a time-saver than as a time-waster. Some 33% of cell owners agree with the statement that their phone “saves you time because they can always access the information you need,” while just 3% agree with the statement that their phone “costs you time because you are constantly being distracted or interrupted.” The largest proportion of cell owners (56%) say that the time costs and time savings offered by cell phones pretty much balance each other out.

Cell owners are extremely attached to their phones — although most don’t see that as too big of a problem.

For many cell owners, their phone is an essential utility that they check frequently, keep close by at all times, and would have trouble functioning without:

• 67% of cell owners find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts, or calls — even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating. Some 18% of cell owners say that they do this “frequently.”
• 44% of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, text messages, or other updates during the night.
• 29% of cell owners describe their cell phone as “something they can’t imagine living without.”

Despite this connection to their devices, most cell owners don’t worry too much (or get many complaints from their friends) about spending too much time with their phones:

• 11% of cell owners say that they themselves sometimes worry that they are spending too much time with their phone.
• 12% of cell owners say that people they know tell them that they are spending too much time using their phone.

Indeed, many cell owners hear complaints from friends that they don’t devote enough time to monitoring their mobile communications:

• 39% of cell owners say that people they know have complained because they don’t respond promptly to phone calls or text messages.
• 33% of cell owners say that people they know have complained because they don’t check their phone frequently enough.

Mobile phone users see some drawbacks to cell ownership, but in general are positive about the benefits that mobile connectivity provides.

When asked to assess the impact of their cell phone on various aspects of daily life, cell owners see some clear benefits — particularly when it comes to maintaining connections to friends and family:

• 65% of cell owners say that their phone has made it “a lot” easier to stay in touch with the people they care about.
• 28% of cell owners say that their phone has made it “a lot” easier to plan and schedule their daily routine.
• 26% of cell owners say that their phone has made it “a lot” easier to be productive while doing things like sitting in traffic or waiting in line.

On the other hand, relatively modest numbers of users see a downside to cell ownership in the form of increased distractions and difficulty disconnecting from work life:

• 9% of cell owners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to disconnect from work life. This concern is particularly acute among cell owners in high-income households.
• 7% of cell owners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to give people their undivided attention.
• 7% of cell owners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to focus on a single task without being distracted.

Smartphone owners and “cell-mostly” internet users show distinctly different usage patterns and attitudes towards their phones.

Two groups consistently stand out when it comes to their usage patterns and attitudes relating to their mobile phones — the 45% of American adults who own a smartphone and the 17% of cell owners who do most of their online browsing within the context of their mobile phone (referred to throughout this report as “cell-mostly internet users”).  Compared with other cell owners, these individuals are more likely to sleep next to their phones; to check their phone frequently for messages or alerts even though they didn’t hear a notification; and to engage in a wide range of mobile activities such as accessing social networking sites or doing online banking.

When it comes to their attitudes compared with other types of cell owners, these groups are more positively inclined towards the benefits of mobile devices, but also more attuned to the potential downsides of ubiquitous mobility. They are more likely to say that their cell phone saves them time because they always have instant access to information, and more likely to say that they “can’t imagine living without” their cell phone. They also respond positively to the notion that their phone helps them be connected with others, schedule their lives, and be productive when they might not be otherwise. At the same time, these groups are also more likely to worry that they are spending too much time with their phone, to say that their phone makes it harder to focus on a single task without being distracted, or to say that their phone makes it harder to give people their undivided attention.

To be sure, both smartphone owners and cell-mostly users share certain demographic characteristics that are correlated with mobile attitudes and usage patterns. For example, young adults are heavily represented in both the smartphone and cell-mostly populations — and as we will see throughout this report, younger cell owners differ from their elders in a number of ways. However, both smartphone ownership and “cell-mostly” usage each show a strong impact on a range of attitudes and behaviors even after we control for other demographic factors, such as age, income, education, or gender.

Lack of need is the main factor preventing non-adopters from purchasing a cell phone; cost is the main factor preventing non-smartphone owners from upgrading to a more advanced device.

Some 15% of adults do not own a cell phone at all, and a significant number of these non-adopters indicate that they are quite comfortable living without a cell phone. When asked for the main reason why they do not have a cell phone, 38% of these non-adopters say that they don’t need a cell phone or are happy with their existing landline service, while 11% say that they simply do not like cell phones or aren’t interested in purchasing one. However, one in five non-adopters say that cost is the main reason why they do not own a cell phone.

For the 40% of adults who own a cell phone but have not yet upgraded to a smartphone, economic factors play a more significant role. Some 37% of non-smartphone owners cite cost as their main barrier to adoption, although 29% indicate that they have refrained from upgrading because they “don’t need” a more advanced phone. Digital skills and technical literacy issues also play a role in whether or not someone purchases a smartphone, as 9% of non-smartphone users say that they have not upgraded because smartphones are too complicated and/or they don’t know how to use them.

The reasons people give for not upgrading to a smartphone vary substantially by age. Younger non-adopters are much more likely than older ones to say that cost is the main factor preventing them from purchasing a smartphone, while older non-adopters are more likely to point towards a lack of need or interest, or towards challenges with using a more advanced device.

About this survey

The results reported here come from a nationwide survey of 2,254 adults (age 18 and older) between March 15-April 3, 2012, including interviews on landline and cell phones and conducted in English and Spanish. The overall sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points. Some 1,954 cell users were interviewed in this sample and many of the results published here involve that subset of users. The margin of error for data involving cell users is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. General ownership figures for cell phones and smartphones come from a nationwide survey of 3,014 adults (age 18 and older) between August 7-September 6, 2012, including interviews on landline and cell phones and conducted in English and Spanish.

In our spring 2012 survey we asked all cell owners to tell us in their own words the one thing that they like the most — and also the one thing that they like the least — about their cell phone. Each of these questions prompted a wide range of responses, although a few key themes stood out from the pack. When it comes to the positive aspects of cell phone ownership:

• 17% of cell owners say that the best thing about their phone is that it is “convenient.”
• 12% like the ability to call or talk with others at any time (this includes phrases such as “making phone calls,” “talking with other people,” or “calling whenever”).
• 11% like that their cell phone can help them get assistance in an emergency (this includes phrases such as “emergencies,” “safety,” or “security”).

Using the internet, email, or apps (9% of cell owners say that this is the thing they like most about their phone) and connecting with family (8%) also place relatively high up on the list of things people like most about cell ownership.

When it comes to negative aspects of mobile phones, people least enjoy the following elements of cell phone ownership:

• 24% dislike that they can be reached at any time (this includes phrases such as “always reachable,” “always connected,” or “people bothering me”)
• 15% say that the worst part of owning a cell phone is the cost of cell ownership, or “paying the bill”
• 12% cite problems with bad reception, poor signal, or dropped calls

Problems with battery life or needing to recharge frequently (8%), as well as interruptions from telemarketers and other unwanted callers (8%) rounded out the top five things that cell owners like least about their mobile devices. The full list of responses is outlined in the table below:

Despite the pronounced differences between smartphones and other cell phones when it comes to the capabilities of these devices, there are only modest differences between smartphone and non-smartphone owners in terms of what they like most and least about cell phone ownership. These relate primarily to internet/email/apps use, and the availability of cell phones in case of an emergency. Some 16% of smartphone owners say the ability to use the internet, email or other apps is the best thing about having a cell phone (compared with just 2% of more basic phone owners), while non-smartphone owners are much more likely to say that the best thing about their phone is the ability to get help in the event of an emergency (20% of basic phone owners say this, compared with 4% of smartphone owners).

These differences between smartphone and non-smartphone owners are intertwined with the age profile of those who use each type of phone. Older cell owners (who tend to have more basic devices) are especially likely to say that they appreciate the convenience of their cell phone and its utility in the event of an emergency: one-quarter of cell owners ages 65 or older cite each of these factors as the thing they like most about their cell phone. Younger cell owners, on the other hand, are more likely to say that the best thing about owning a cell phone is the ability to use the internet, email, or apps, or to use text messaging.

Some other demographic differences on this question include:

• African American cell owners are more likely than whites (by a 15% to 8% margin) to say that using the internet, email, or apps is the thing they like most about their cell phone, as well as to say  (by a 21% to 14% margin) that the cost of cell ownership is the thing they like least.
• Women are more likely than men to say that getting help in an emergency situation is the thing they like most about having a cell phone (15% vs. 8%).

What is preventing those who do not own a phone from purchasing one?

Some 15% of US adults do not own a cell phone at all, and we presented these non-adopters with an open-ended question in which we asked them to tell us the main reason why they do not own one. The largest proportion of these non-owners say that a lack of need or interest is the main thing standing in their way: 38% don’t need a cell phone or are happy with their landline, while 11% say that they don’t like cell phones or simply aren’t interested in purchasing one. Economic factors are the second-most common reason given, as one in five non-owners (21%) say that they do not own a cell phone because they are too expensive.

The relatively small number of non-cell owners in our survey (and the general lack of demographic diversity within this group) limits our ability to compare reasons for non-adoption among different groups. However, older adults are especially likely to say that they don’t have a cell phone because they don’t need one or are happy with their existing landline phone.

What is keeping non-smartphone owners from upgrading?

In addition to asking why people might not own a cell phone in the first place, we also asked the 40% of the population that owns cell phone but not a smartphone to tell us the main reason why they do not own a more advanced device.

Overall, cost plays a much more prominent role for upgrading to a smartphone, than it does for deciding whether or not to get a cell phone in the first place. A total of 37% of non-smartphone owners mention price in one way or another as the main reason why they haven’t upgraded — 30% say that smartphones are too expensive in general, 4% say that the phone itself is too expensive, and 3% say that the cost of purchasing a data plan is their primary concern (as noted above, 21% of non-cell owners cite price as the main reason why they do not own a cell phone at all).

At the same time, a sizeable proportion of basic cell owners simply don’t see a need to upgrade their phone. Some 29% of non-smartphone owners say that they “don’t need” a more advanced phone, while an additional 5% are “just not interested” and 4% say they are happy with their current phone. Digital skills/literacy issues also play a prominent role, as 9% of non-smartphone users say that they have not upgraded because smartphones are too complicated and/or they don’t know how to use them.

Indeed, just 2% of non-smartphone owners responded to this question by saying that they have definite plans to purchase one in the future.

The reasons people give for not upgrading to a smartphone show significant variation based on age. In particular, younger non-adopters are much more likely than their elders to say that cost is the main factor preventing them from purchasing a smartphone, while older non-adopters are more likely to point towards a lack of need or interest, or towards challenges with using a more advanced device. Similarly, non-owners from higher-income households are more likely to say that they do not own a smartphone because they don’t need one — in contrast to those from lower income households, who are more likely to point towards the expense of upgrading as the primary factor standing in their way.

In an effort to examine the broader impact of mobile devices on people’s lives, we presented cell phone owners with six separate impacts that might result from mobile phone ownership and these impacts were equally balanced between positive and negative ones. These responses indicate that mobile users see mostly positive benefits to mobile technologies — but also some drawbacks related to the constant connectivity (and mental temptations) that cell phones offer.

When it comes to the positive impacts of cell phone ownership, fully two-thirds (65%) of cell owners say that mobile phones have made it “a lot” easier to stay in touch with the people they care about, while just 6% say that their phone has not improved their connections with friends and family at all. Roughly half of cell owners say that their phone has made it at least somewhat easier to plan and schedule their daily routine, and to be productive while doing things like sitting in traffic or waiting in line.

When it comes to the “dark side” of cell phone ownership, roughly one in five cell owners say that their phone has made it at least somewhat harder to forget about work at home or on the weekends; to give people their undivided attention; or to focus on a single task without being distracted. A majority of cell owners say that their phone has had no impact at all on their life in any of these negative ways.

Compared with their elders, younger cell owners are especially attuned to both the positive and negative impacts of mobile connectivity. Low- and high-income cell owners also have divergent attitudes towards the benefits and challenges posed by ubiquitous mobility. Those from higher income households are more likely to say that their cell phone makes it easier to schedule their daily routine, and to be productive throughout the day. At the same time, cell owners with a household income of more than $75,000 per year are significantly more likely than other cell owners to say that their phone makes it harder to disconnect from the demands of the workplace. Some 17% of these high-income earners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to do this (compared with 7% for those earning less than $30,000 per year, 6% for those earning $30,000-$49,999, and 8% for those earning $50,000-$74,999). Overall, nearly one third (29%) of high-income cell owners say that their phone makes it at least somewhat harder to disconnect from work at home and on the weekends.

One third of cell owners say that overall, their cell phone saves them time — while just 3% say it costs them time.

Overall, cell owners are far more likely to view their phone as a time-saver than as a time-waster. Some 33% of cell owners agree with the statement that their phone “saves you time because you can always access the information you need,” while just 3% agree with the statement that their phone “costs you time because you are constantly distracted or interrupted.” The largest proportion of cell owners (56%) say that the time costs and time savings offered by cell phones pretty much balance each other out.

Smartphone owners have especially positive attitudes towards their phones’ time-saving capabilities. Some 44% of smartphone owners say that their phone saves them time because they can access the information they need at all times—double the 20% of non-smartphone owners who say the same. And despite saying that their cell phone makes it hard to escape the demands of employment, cell owners with high levels of income and education are generally quite positive about the time-saving capabilities of their mobile devices. Some 42% of cell owners with a college degree (and 43% of those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more) say that their cell phone saves them time overall, a significantly higher percentage than those with lower levels of income or education.

Many cell owners sleep next to their phones so as not to miss calls, messages, or updates during the night. They also check their phones for messages even when not prompted by their phone to do so.

Some 44% of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, text messages, or other updates during the night. In addition, 67% of cell owners say that they find themselves checking their cell phone for messages, alerts, or calls — even though they didn’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating. One in five cell owners (18%) say that they do this “frequently” and 21% do so “occasionally,” while 28% say that it only happens “every once in a while.”

As might be expected, younger cell owners are especially concerned about missing calls or notifications on their phones. Six in ten cell owners between the ages of 18 and 34 say that they have slept next to their phone so as not to miss any calls, texts, or other updates during the night; and three quarters of cell owners in this age group say that they check their phone for messages even though they did not hear it ring (indeed, 25% of young cell owners say that they do this “frequently”).

At the same time, even among seniors, this behavior is not unheard of.  Nearly half of seniors (46%) say that they have caught themselves checking their phone for messages or missed calls even though they did not hear their phone ring or otherwise give some sort of notification (although just 5% say that they do this “frequently”). Similarly, some 22% of cell owners ages 65 and up have slept with their phone next to their bed so as not to miss any messages or calls while they were asleep.

Along with young adults, sleeping next to one’s phone so as not to miss anything during the night is especially common among smartphone owners (50% of whom have done this) as well as those who go online mostly using their cell phone (60% of “cell mostly” internet users have done so). In addition, some 53% of African American cell owners say that they have done this.

These same three groups (smartphone owners, “cell mostly” internet users and African American cell owners) are also apt to check their phones frequently without an obvious reason to do so. Some 31% of “cell mostly” internet users do this frequently, as do 23% of smartphone owners and 24% of black cell owners. Parents also tend to have a quick trigger finger when it comes to checking their phone for messages — 23% say that they do so frequently.

Cell owners are more likely to get complaints for not checking their phone frequently enough or answering quickly enough, than for spending too much time with their phone.

In spite of all this time spent using, checking or otherwise interacting with their phones, most cell owners are more likely to get complaints that they are not responding quickly enough to calls or contacts, than to get complaints that they are spending too much time with their devices. When we asked about three separate issues with their cell phone usage that might annoy or lead to complaints from the other people in cell owners’ lives, we found the following:

• 39% of cell owners say that people they know have complained that they don’t respond promptly to phone calls or text messages.
• 33% say that people they know have complained that they don’t check their cell phone frequently enough.
• 12% of cell owners say that people they know tell them that they spend too much time using their cell phone.

As with many of the trends discussed in this report, most demographic differences on this question center around age. In particular, younger cell owners are much more likely to say that they get complaints about spending too much time with their phone, and to get complaints that they don’t respond promptly enough to calls or texts.

Smartphone and non-smartphone owners are equally likely to get complaints from friends that they don’t check their phone frequently enough. However, smartphone owners are a bit more likely than other cell owners to hear complaints that they don’t respond promptly to calls or text messages (42% vs. 35%) and are much more likely than other cell owners to hear complaints that they spend too much time using their cell phone. Some 19% of smartphone owners say that this happens to them, compared with just 5% of non-smartphone owners.

One in ten cell owners express worry that they spend too much time on their phone. Young adults, smartphone owners and iPhone adopters lead the way on this concern.

As noted above, 12% of cell owners say that someone else has complained that they spend too much time on their phone. A similar number — 11% of cell owners — say that they themselves sometimes worry that they are spending too much time on their mobile device, although the vast majority of cell owners — 89% — say that they never worry about the amount of time they spend using their phone.

Younger cell owners are especially attuned to this concern. Some 21% of cell owners ages 18-24 say that they sometimes worry that they are spending too much time on their phone, compared with 14% of 25-34 year olds, 14% of 35-44 year olds, 9% of 45-54 year olds, 5% of 55-64 year olds, and 3% of cell owners ages 65 and older.

Smartphone owners also stand out from the pack (15% of smartphone owners worry that they spend too much time with their phone), as do those who do most of their online browsing in the context of their cell phone (23% of these “cell-mostly” users say that they worry about this). Within the smartphone universe, iPhone owners are especially concerned about the amount of time they spend with their phones — some 22% of iPhone owners worry about how much time they spend with their devices, double the proportion of Android (12%) and Blackberry (11%) owners who share this concern.

Others using their phones in a loud or annoying manner in public – still a frequent occurrence, but less frequent than it used to be.

In addition to asking people about their own experiences with their cell phones, we also included two questions in this survey dealing with cell phone etiquette issues. First, we asked all respondents to our survey (including both cell owners and those who do not have cell phone) how frequently they encounter other people using their cell phones in a loud or annoying manner in public. These findings indicate that this annoyance is still persistent — but that it is growing slightly less commonplace over time. Overall, some 74% of adults say that they witness this type of behavior “frequently” or “occasionally,” while 25% say that they witness it “rarely” or “never.” However, the proportion of adults who say that this happens to them frequently has decreased significantly in the last six years. In March 2006, half (50%) of all adults said that this happened to them frequently, compared with 39% who say so today.

Witnessing poor cell phone etiquette is relatively common across a wide range of demographic groups, although women are more likely than men to experience this behavior “frequently” or “occasionally”; whites are more likely to have experienced it than non-whites; those with at least some college education and those with a household income of $50,000 or more per year are more likely to experience it than those with lower levels of income or education; and urban and suburban residents are more likely to experience it than rural residents.

Most witness others using their phones in a loud or annoying manner, but few admit to doing so themselves.

Although most Americans (including most cell owners) have witnessed other people behaving in a loud or annoying manner using their phones, just 6% of cell owners say that they themselves have drawn criticism or dirty looks from someone else because of the way they were using their phone in public. This is largely unchanged from the 8% of cell owners who had experienced this the first time we asked this question in early 2006. Some 11% of 18-29 year old cell owners have had someone respond in this way to their phone use, compared with 6% of 30-49 year olds, 3% of 50-64 year olds and just 2% of cell owners ages 65 and up.

29% of all cell owners (and 36% of smartphone owners) “couldn’t imagine living without” their cell phone.

All told, consumers are split on just how essential a role their cell phone plays in their daily lives. When asked what they would do without their cell phone:

• 37% of cell owners say that they “could live without it”
• 33% say their cell phone is “something they would miss but could probably do without”
• 29% describe their cell phone as “something they can’t imagine living without”

Not surprisingly, smartphone owners are more likely than cell owners as a whole to say that their phone is something that they couldn’t imagine living without — 36% of smartphone owners say this about their phone, compared with 21% of non-smartphone owners — but even among smartphone owners some 28% say that their phone is something they could do without. “Cell-mostly” internet users are also especially reliant on their phones, as 42% of this group says that their phone is something they couldn’t imagine living without. In terms of demographic differences, older cell owners generally view their cell phones as less essential than younger owners. Some 45% of cell owners ages 50-64, and 49% of those ages 65 and older, say that their cell phone is something they could live without, while fewer than one-quarter of these users say that their phone is something they “can’t imagine living without.”

We asked this question in early 2006, and since then the proportion of cell owners who say that they “could live without” their cell phone has actually gone up — from 29% of cell owners in 2006 to 37% of cell owners today. The proportion saying that their phone is something they “can’t imagine living without” has remained largely unchanged — 26% of cell owners said this in 2006, while 29% said so in 2012.

Mobile Activities and “Sexting”

Participation in cell phone “sexting” among adults has not changed since May 2010

For the second time in a survey of adults, we asked in our spring 2012 survey about “sexting” behavior — that is, sending, receiving, or forwarding suggestive photos or videos of oneself or another person using one’s cell phone. Overall, the number of adults who engage in this behavior is identical to what we found the first time we asked these questions of adults in May 2010:

• 15% of adult cell owners have received a sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo or video of someone that they know on their cell phone. This is unchanged from the 15% of adult cell owners who had received these types of images in May 2010.
• 6% of adult cell owners have sent a sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo or video of themselves to someone else using their cell phone. This is also unchanged from the 6% of adult cell owners who did this in May 2010.
• 3% of adult cell owners have forwarded a “sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo or video” of someone that they know on their cell phone. This is the first time we have asked about forwarding these images, so we are unable to say how this has changed over time.

Compared with 2009 data collected among cell phone owners ages 12-17, adults are equally likely to say that they have received as well as sent these types of images — some 15% of teen cell owners have received “sexts” on their cell phone, while 4% of teens have sent one of themselves.¹ We have not asked teens whether or not they have forwarded this type of message to someone else.

In terms of demographic differences, age is by far the strongest predictor of sexting behavior. Younger adults in general are much more likely than their elders to engage in sexting, although the youngest cell owners do not lead the way—the peak in this activity actually occurs among those in their mid-20s to mid-30s. Although a small number of older cell owners have received these types of images, sending or forwarding is nearly non-existent for cell owners ages 45 and older.

Outside of age, most sexting-related differences between demographic groups are relatively modest—although gender does play a small role. Men and women are equally likely to send sexts, although male cell owners are a bit more likely than women to say that they have received these types of images on their phones (18% of male cell owners and 12% of female cell owners have done so). Men are also a bit more likely to forward these messages to others compared with women (5% of male cell owners and 2% of female cell owners have forwarded a sext to someone else).

Beyond these demographic differences, the type of phone people have — and the role that mobile device plays in their online life — is also associated with whether or not they engage in sexting behavior. Specifically, smartphone owners are significantly more likely than non-smartphone owners to engage in each of these behaviors. Some 21% of smartphone owners have received a sext (compared with 8% of non-smartphone owners), 9% have sent a sext (vs. 3% for other cell owners) and 5% have forwarded one (just 1% of other cell owners have done this). Even more than smartphone owners in general, the 17% of cell owners who do most of their online browsing on their cell phone stand out when it comes to sexting behaviors. Some 35% of these “cell mostly” internet users have received a sext, 14% have sent a sext themselves, and 8% have forwarded a sext to someone else.

Cell owners use their phones for a wide array of specific purposes — from accessing social networking sites to consuming paid video content

In our spring 2012 survey we asked a series of questions about activities that people might do on their cell phones, modeled on our “what internet users do online” trend questions. The following table shows how many cell owners ever do these activities, as well as how many do them on a typical day.

Detailed Demographic Breakdowns of Cell Phone Activities

The following tables offer detailed demographic breakdowns of the cell phone activities previously discussed.

This report is based on the findings of a survey on Americans’ use of the Internet. The results in this report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from March 15 to April 3, 2012, among a sample of 2,254 adults, age 18 and older.  Telephone interviews were conducted in English and Spanish by landline (1,351) and cell phone (903, including 410 without a landline phone). For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.  For results based Internet users (n=1,803), the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.  In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting telephone surveys may introduce some error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

A combination of landline and cellular random digit dial (RDD) samples was used to represent all adults in the continental United States who have access to either a landline or cellular telephone. Both samples were provided by Survey Sampling International, LLC (SSI) according to PSRAI specifications.  Numbers for the landline sample were selected with probabilities in proportion to their share of listed telephone households from active blocks (area code + exchange + two-digit block number) that contained three or more residential directory listings. The cellular sample was not list-assisted, but was drawn through a systematic sampling from dedicated wireless 100-blocks and shared service 100-blocks with no directory-listed landline numbers.

New sample was released daily and was kept in the field for at least five days. The sample was released in replicates, which are representative subsamples of the larger population. This ensures that complete call procedures were followed for the entire sample.  At least 7 attempts were made to complete an interview at a sampled telephone number. The calls were staggered over times of day and days of the week to maximize the chances of making contact with a potential respondent. Each number received at least one daytime call in an attempt to find someone available. For the landline sample, interviewers asked to speak with the youngest adult male or female currently at home based on a random rotation. If no male/female was available, interviewers asked to speak with the youngest adult of the other gender. For the cellular sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone. Interviewers verified that the person was an adult and in a safe place before administering the survey. Cellular sample respondents were offered a post-paid cash incentive for their participation. All interviews completed on any given day were considered to be the final sample for that day.

Weighting is generally used in survey analysis to compensate for sample designs and patterns of non-response that might bias results. A two-stage weighting procedure was used to weight this dual-frame sample. The first-stage corrected for different probabilities of selection associated with the number of adults in each household and each respondent’s telephone usage patterns. This weighting also adjusts for the overlapping landline and cell sample frames and the relative sizes of each frame and each sample.

The second stage of weighting balances sample demographics to population parameters. The sample is balanced to match national population parameters for sex, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, region (U.S. Census definitions), population density, and telephone usage. The Hispanic origin was split out based on nativity; U.S born and non-U.S. born. The White, non-Hispanic subgroup is also balanced on age, education and region. The basic weighting parameters came from a special analysis of the Census Bureau’s 2011 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) that included all households in the United States. The population density parameter was derived from Census 2000 data. The cell phone usage parameter came from an analysis of the July-December 2010 National Health Interview Survey.

Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:

The disposition reports all of the sampled telephone numbers ever dialed from the original telephone number samples. The response rate estimates the fraction of all eligible respondents in the sample that were ultimately interviewed. At PSRAI it is calculated by taking the product of three component rates:

• Contact rate – the proportion of working numbers where a request for interview was made
• Cooperation rate – the proportion of contacted numbers where a consent for interview was at least initially obtained, versus those refused
• Completion rate – the proportion of initially cooperating and eligible interviews that were completed

Thus the response rate for the landline sample was 11 percent. The response rate for the cellular sample was 11 percent.