Demographics, means of access, and Internet activities: How do mobile-only Internet users

differ from PC-only Internet users?

Katy Pearce, @katypearce, Georgetown UniversityRon Rice, UCSB

Janine Slaker, Georgetown UniversityNida Ahmad, Georgetown University

Device Divide

• The device we use impacts our activities (Chigona, Beukes, Vally, & Tanner, 2009; Donner & Bezuidenhoudt, 2012; Donner & Gitau, 2009; Donner et al., 2011; Kreutzer, 2009; Pearce & Rice, 2012)

• But the device you use is not random

– Demographics matter

• Demographics also matter for the activities we engage in

• What matters more for activities? Demographics or device?

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Media Landscape Project

• USAID-funded• “Aims to enhance and improve access to pluralistic and unbiased

information in Armenia through the use of new information technologies, as well as to increase alternative sources of news, build civic demand for alternative content, and enhance public advocacy on media freedom.”

• January-February 2011

• N = 1420, nationally representative

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DEVICES

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Devices

• Personal computer– Dial-up (17% of users)

– DSL (28% of users)

– 3G cellular flash card (40% of users)

– Tethered mobile phone (30% of users)

• Mobile phone (16% of users)

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Total Capital

Regional city Rural 7

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ARE THERE DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN DEVICE USERS?

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Demographics

• Economic wellbeing (1-5)

• Education (1-7)

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1.972.31

2.693.11

Non-Users Mobile-Only PC-Only Both

3.61 3.82

4.91

3.61

Non-Users Mobile-Only PC-Only Both

• English (1-4)

• Age (16-99)

• Urbanness (1-3)

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2.362.8

3.38 3.45

Non-Users Mobile-Only PC-Only Both

50.07

26.2136.34

26.65

Non-Users Mobile-Only PC-Only Both

2.12

1.61.94

1.38

Non-Users Mobile-Only PC-Only Both

WHAT DETERMINES DEVICE CHOICE?

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Device Choice

• Mobile-only• Age• Urbanness (slightly)

– Digital inequality implications

• PC-only• English• Urbanness• Education• Gender• Economic wellbeing• Age

• Both• Urbanness• Economic wellbeing• Education• English• Age

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DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES BY DEVICE

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15

85

32

8

23

9

26

2117

5 5

53

47

40

32

43

30

22

15

30

6

80

55

39

3436

2729

1916

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SNS Search engines

Online news

Video IM Email Games Music Work Blog

Activities X Device – Armenia 2011

Mobile % PC % Both %

PERSONAS

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Arsen

Village user

AGE34

EDUCATIONSecondary school

INCOMEIrregular

EMPLOYMENTNone

INTERNET ACCESSMobile only

ONLINE SINCE2010

INTERNET ACTIVITIES

Social networking sites

Television content

Soft porn

HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

ParentsWife2 small childrenSister-in-law (brother is labor migrant)Nephews

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Vahe and Narine

Regional city users

AGE33 & 28

EDUCATIONSecondary school & university

INCOMEFood & clothes comfortable

EMPLOYMENTVahe - labor migrant; Narine -housewife

INTERNET ACCESSMobile only

ONLINE SINCE2009

INTERNET ACTIVITIES

Maintaining contact

Social networking sites

Games

HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

Vahe’s mother2 small children

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Karen

Capitol city user

AGE24

EDUCATIONUniversity

INCOMEFood & clothes comfortable

EMPLOYMENTAssistant accountant

INTERNET ACCESSPC only

ONLINE SINCE2010

INTERNET ACTIVITIES

Social networking sites

Dating

Entertainment – videos/music

HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

Parents

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Anush

Capitol city user

AGE28

EDUCATIONPostgrad

INCOMEFood, clothes, appliance comfortable

EMPLOYMENT

Program manager

INTERNET ACCESSPC and mobile

ONLINE SINCE2005

INTERNET ACTIVITIES

Civic engagement

News

Blogging

Social networking sites

HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

Parents

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THE ACTIVITY GAP: DEMOGRAPHICS AND DEVICES

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Social networking sites Videos Games

DeviceEnglish

AgeUrbanness

Age X PCDeviceEnglishPC-only

AgeUrbanness X PC

Education X mobile

Search engines Instant messaging Downloading music

EnglishUrbanness X PC

Age X PCEducation x mobile

UrbannessPC-only

EnglishAge

DeviceAge X PC English

English X PCEducation X both

PC-only

Online news Email Work

DeviceEducation X PC

EnglishPC-only

English X both English

Education X PC

DevicePC-onlyEnglish

Education X PC Age X PC 22

Implications

• Although mobile Internet is available to a wider demographic population of Armenians, the Internet activity device gap remains.

– Access is not enough.

• Highway versus bike lane.

• Although…

– Assumptions of what Internet activities should be and what “The Web” is.

– Upskilling possible (Pearce, 2011).

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Contributions

• Few venues have large mobile-only Internet population.

– What we can learn from such a venue has implications for digital inequality everywhere.

• Access is not enough.

• Demographic and device-driven differences in online activities matter for any context.

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THANK YOU

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