New Pew Report: Smartphone Ownership in 2013

The Pew Internet and American Life Project released new data last week showing that 56% of all American adults use smartphones. At AIDS.gov, we have seen growth in mobile access to our website. Since January, 2013, nearly 37% of visits to AIDS.gov have been from a mobile device. This has already surpassed the total mobile visits from 2012. The HIV community should take note of the growth in smartphone usage.

Here are a few things from the report that may be of interest.

What Pew found: Because 91% of the adult population now owns some kind of cell phone, that means that 56% of all American adults are now smartphone adopters. What the HIV community can do with this information: Especially because people tend to use their personal phones to search for sensitive information, it is imperative to optimize our content for viewing on mobile devices.

What Pew found: Younger adults—regardless of income level—are very likely to be smartphone owners.

What the HIV community can do with this information: The CDC reported that nearly 1 in 4 new HIV infections occurs in youth ages 13-24 years old. It is important that information is accessible to this population. Include information they can access via their smartphones into your programming.

What Pew found: 64% of Black Americans have a smartphone, compared with 53% of white Americans and 60% of Hispanic Americans. Also, African-American cellphone owners are more likely than whites or Latinos to say that their phone is an Android device as opposed to an iPhone.

What the HIV community can do with this information: If African-Americans are your target audience, make sure your communication strategy includes mobile activities.

Also make sure your apps are accessible and/or compatible with Android devices.

As you think about including mobile in your strategy, remember to remind your audiences to use their mobile devices responsibly.

• What does this data mean for your?
• How are you using mobile to reach your audiences?