Meanwhile, social media services like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have added an optional location layer (in many cases built on Foursquare\u2019s API) so that users can show where they are when they post material on the sites. And many information-focused services, from activity-tracking apps to rating sites such as Yelp, incorporate location-sharing and other social aspects as well.<\/p>\n\n
As of May 2013:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- Some 74% of adult smartphone owners get\u00a0directions or other information based on their current location<\/b>. This works out to 45% of all adults.<\/li>\n
- Some 12% of smartphone owners use a\u00a0geosocial service<\/b>\u00a0such as Foursquare to \u201ccheck in\u201d to certain locations or share their location with friends. This works out to 7% of all adults.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n
![\"74%](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/348440B57FA241FF8E47F61347CB808D.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Use](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/BF0D94BF7F014DD5946C4B0675DC7EB8.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nLocation-based information services<\/h3>\n\n
Many web services and apps incorporate a user\u2019s location in order to offer relevant information. For instance, driving directions may rely on the user\u2019s location to offer detailed turn-by-turn directions to another location, or a to-do list app might offer \u201cgeo-fenced\u201d alerts, such as reminding the user to buy milk when she is near a grocery store.<\/p>\n\n
Almost three-quarters (74%) of smartphone owners say they use their phone to get directions or other information related to a location where they happen to be. This percentage has held steady in the past year, but the increasing popularity of smartphones means that among all adults, the proportion who say they access location-based information has risen from 41% in 2012 to 45% in May 2013.[7. Slight change in question wording over time. February 2012 and May 2013 question wording was \u201cGet directions or other information related to a location where you happen to be.\u201d May 2011 question wording was \u201cGet directions, recommendations, or other information related to your present location.\u201d]<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Most](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/34485CB258294887B73FB7052FE7C6A2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nSmartphone users under age 50 are significantly more likely to say they get location-based directions and information than older smartphone users, and college graduates are more likely to do this than adults who only completed high school. \u00a0There were no statistically significant differences among smartphone owners by gender, race or ethnicity, household income, or community type.<\/p>\n\n
These adoption patterns are generally similar to those we found in early 2012, though\u00a0at that time<\/a>\u00a0whites were also more likely to use these services than African Americans, and adults in higher-income households were more likely to use these services than those in lower-income households.<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Who](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/4A32FD28BE7C496E982890AC29E5BDAA.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nGeosocial services<\/h3>\n\n
As of May 2013, 12% of smartphone owners use geosocial services such as Foursquare to \u201ccheck in\u201d to a certain location or share their location with friends. This is down from 18% of smartphone owners in February 2012. For all adults, this represents a change from 10% in 2012 to 7% in 2013.[8. Slight change in question wording over time. February 2012 and May 2013 question wording was: \u201cUse a service such as Foursquare or Gowalla to ‘check in’ to certain locations or to share your location with your friends.\u201d May 2011 question wording was: \u201cUse a service such as Foursquare or Gowalla to \u201ccheck in\u201d to certain locations or share your location with friends.\u201d]<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Geosocial](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/409D99E422A143E0BA1B00F1116E3C8A.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nThere are few clear differences in geosocial use between demographic groups, though Hispanic smartphone users are significantly more likely to use geosocial services than whites or blacks, and suburban adults are more likely to use these services than rural adults.<\/p>\n\n
Finally, there were no statistically significant differences in geosocial service use among smartphone owners by gender or educational attainment.<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Who](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/2EBFBF98CE3C47F19BD142B970CA68C3.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nWhich geosocial services people use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
For the first time, we also asked users of geosocial or \u201ccheck-in\u201d services which location services they use. We found that a plurality of geosocial users (39%) say they use Facebook, while almost one in five (18%) say they use Foursquare, and 14% say they use Google Plus; several other services were mentioned as well, such as Instagram and Yelp.<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/0E8AD26B4E56434FB8136B065FA6AA06.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nLocation Tagging Among Social Media Users<\/h3>\n\n
Adult social media users and location tagging<\/h4>\n\n
Many social media sites enable users to set up the service to automatically \u201ctag\u201d their updates on the site with the user\u2019s current location. Our May 2013 survey found that 30% of adult social media users say that at least one of their accounts is currently set up to include their location in their posts,\u00a0up from 14% who had ever done this in 2011<\/a>.[9. numoffset=”9″ Change in question wording over time. May 2013 question wording was: \u201cThinking about how you use social networking sites… are any of your social networking accounts currently set up so that they include your location on your posts?\u201d February 2012 question wording was: \u201cThinking about the ways people might use social networking sites… Do you ever set up your account so that it automatically includes your location on your posts?\u201d In May 2011, question was asked as an item in a list question with the following question wording: \u201cThinking about the ways people might use social networking sites… Do you ever… Set up your account so that it automatically includes your location on your posts?\u201d]<\/p>\n\n
Social media users under age 50 are the age group most likely to tag their location on social networking sites, and those living in suburban areas are more likely to say they do this than those living in rural areas. Among social media users, there were no significant differences by gender, education level, or household income.<\/p>\n\n
The demographics of social media users with automatic location-tagging have changed since we last asked about this activity in May 2011.\u00a0At that time<\/a>, we found that men, African Americans and Hispanics, adults in households earning less than $30,000 per year, and those who have not gone to college were significantly more likely than other social media users to use automatic location-tagging, and there were no significant differences between different age groups.[10. More: \u201c28% of American adults use mobile and social location-based services\u201d (2011):\u00a0https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/Reports\/2011\/Location.aspx<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Location](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/55E78773BF664237916E46F14299239E.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nTeen social media users and location tagging<\/h4>\n\n
Previous surveys have also asked teens ages 12-17 about their social media practices, including location tagging. Our recent report on how teens share personal information and manage privacy settings on social media, \u201cTeens, Social Media, and Privacy<\/a>,\u201d found that 16% of teen social media users said they set up their profile or account so that it automatically includes their location in posts.[11. \u201cTeens, Social Media, and Privacy\u201d (2013):\u00a0https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/Reports\/2013\/Teens-Social-Media-And-Privacy.aspx<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n
Boys and girls and teens of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds are equally likely to say that they have set up their profile to include their location when they post. However, teen social media users living in suburban areas are significantly more likely to say they tag their location on social networking sites than teens living in rural or urban areas, as shown in the chart below.<\/p>\n\n
Focus group data\u00a0suggests<\/a>\u00a0that many teens find sharing their location unnecessary and unsafe, while others appreciate the opportunity to signal their location to friends and parents.<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Location](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/798B0EA5F9DC4AD78B8919953E6A28A9.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\nTurning Off Location-Tracking Features<\/h3>\n\n
Over a third of adult cell app users have turned off the location-tracking feature on their cell phones<\/h4>\n\n
Even as most smartphone owners use their phones\u2019 geolocation abilities to get location-specific information, data from earlier surveys also shows that many mobile users of all ages say they have turned off location-tracking features at some point due to privacy concerns.[12. numoffset=”12″ A separate study in July 2013 found that 54% of internet users said it was \u201cvery important\u201d that only they and those they had authorized should have access to their location when they use the internet. For more information, see:\u00a0https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/Reports\/2013\/Anonymity-online\/Main-Report\/Part-4.aspx<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n
[13.\u00a0https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/Reports\/2012\/Mobile-Privacy\/Main-Findings\/Section-2.aspx<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n
Almost half of teen cell or tablet app users have turned off the location-tracking feature on their cell phone or in an app<\/h4>\n\n
In\u00a0a different report<\/a>\u00a0exploring teens\u2019 mobile privacy practices, we asked teen app users ages 12-17 a similar but differently worded question. We found that as of September 2012, almost half (46%) of teen app users say they have turned off the location tracking feature on their cell phone or in an app because they were worried about other people or companies being able to access that information.<\/p>\n\n
Yet\u00a0as our earlier report on teens and mobile app privacy noted<\/a>, some of the people those teens are concerned about may be their own parents. As early as 2009, the Pew Internet Project found that about half of parents of teen cell phone owners said they used the phone to monitor their child\u2019s location in some way.[14. This parental location monitoring could take many forms\u2014including the use of calling, texting or GPS to keep track of a child\u2019s location. The question wording did not specify what tools parents had used.\u00a0https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/Reports\/2010\/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones\/Chapter-4\/Parents-and-limits-on-cell-phone-use.aspx<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n
- Some 12% of smartphone owners use a\u00a0geosocial service<\/b>\u00a0such as Foursquare to \u201ccheck in\u201d to certain locations or share their location with friends. This works out to 7% of all adults.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
![\"Almost](\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/media\/2CB443D54884426C8C9D3B85CCFADEA1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"