pew
Latest
Apple is the most-covered tech company
Here's a bit of news that's no shock to us. According to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, Apple receives more coverage from the press than any other tech company. The research center recently concluded a year-long study, which found that a full 15.1 percent of all tech articles were about Apple. Google commanded 11.4 percent of articles while 3 percent were primarily about Microsoft. The study used data from 52 newspapers, broadcast, and websites from June 2009 through June 2010. What's powering Apple's popularity? Its computers represent only a fraction of those in use. However, the iPhone and the iPod's meteoric rise to stardom, and infiltration of popular culture, has caught the attention of journalists across the globe. But there's more to it than that. Amy S. Mitchell, the deputy director of the Project, notes the hype that precedes a new release, as well as Apple's "very public way of releasing products," is powerful. As I said on a recent podcast, even the local news station in my little Podunk town covered the recent iPod updates. As I said, telling us that Apple gets a lot of press coverage is like telling bees that honey is popular. But anecdotal evidence is one thing; empirical research is another.
Pew study finds majority of Americans don't want government to prioritize affordable broadband
We hold great respect for the Pew Internet and American Life Project, whose statistical practices are transparent, robust and rarely filled with logical holes, but we have to wonder why the organization decided to ask if Americans would support affordable high-speed internet using their tax dollars. 53% of 2,252 telephoned adults said it shouldn't be a major priority, which is significant, to be sure, but when Pew's 2009 study showed that most individuals without broadband don't want it, and their 2008 survey confirmed that 62 percent of dial-up users were still A-OK, we have to imagine researchers might have seen this coming. Those with broadband don't need it, those without it don't want it. Never mind about education, health, economic reform -- you know, all those other priorities. Nevertheless, these are interesting results, and if you're a proponent of the FCC's National Broadband Plan you'd best have a look.
Survey says: most teens don't have a data plan, almost all send texts
Microsoft and Verizon might think all the kids want to do with their new Kin phones is pay absurd data rates for a half-baked Twitter experience, but it turns out Generation Upload is still actually just Generation Text Message. That's at least the word according to a Pew Internet Research survey published on April 20th and neatly summed up by a new Flowlogic infographic published today -- only 23 percent of American teenagers with cellphones use social networks with their phones, while 72 percent of all teens use text messaging. You might argue that Kin seeks to flip that balance, but Pew found that 63 percent of teens with cell phones don't have data plans and the vast majority of teen cellphone plans are part of a larger family plan, so the Kin's $30 / month data rate might be a hard sell to Mom and Dad. We also thought voice calling on the Kin seemed like an afterthought to texting and social networking, but it turns out more and more older kids simply turn to the phone: 77 percent of 17 year olds text each other, but 60 percent of them call each other's cell phones -- and only 33 percent of them connect over social networking sites. Perhaps most damningly, Pew says nearly half -- 46% -- of teens play games on their phones, but Kin has no games at all. The report is actually full of other interesting tidbits like this and the infographic is quite nice, so hit the read links to check 'em out -- perhaps Microsoft and Verizon should do the same.
Gaming now mainstream? The numbers aren't everything
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has a report out on US gaming demographics. According to the report, "53% of American adults age 18 and older play video games," that "97% of teens play video games," and even "23% of respondents 65 years old and older report playing games." At first pass, that would appear to make gaming comparatively mainstream, and indeed it confirms the results of many other studies. A lot of us play games, and in many demographics, most of us are gamers in recent years, even though only 9% of those gamers report playing MMOGs and just 2% for assorted virtual worlds. Unfortunately, sheer numerical superiority doesn't make gaming (or anything else) necessarily mainstream. Mainstreamness (if that's even a word) isn't purely a function of numbers.
Can WoW make your child a better citizen?
What's this? An article on a mainstream news site proclaiming that gaming will not turn our children into mini Charles Mansons? It's true! According to a story published at MSNBC, the Pew Internet & American Life Project is discovering that online games are positively affecting our children's civic experiences. The research doesn't simply track how much time kids are spending in social games, but it's delving into what the children are doing with that time."Video games can provide hands-on learning opportunities for kids that can be much more meaningful than reading a textbook," this article states. It goes on to make an interesting analysis of social interaction in our favorite online games, "Helping a newbie get his sea legs in a game simulates the real-world experience of volunteering. And playing games online can expose kids to people with worldviews that differ from their own - in positive and negative ways."
Most dial-up users don't want to upgrade their connections
So here's a bit of brilliant statistics work for you: The Pew Internet & American Life research project has determined after endless polling and number crunching that 62 percent of American dial-up users have no interest in upgrading their connections to something a bit more peppy. In fact, only 14 percent of them would upgrade if they could. They cite high prices, barrier to entry, and -- ooh, is Survivor on? We look at it this way: if you're not already on broadband with the multitude of options, and you can get broadband (i.e. you're not stranded out in the wilderness) in one way shape or form, you probably just don't really care, and we can make fun of you because you're not reading this post anyway.[Via Switched]
