A new report found those who rely on their smartphones the most for Internet access also face the greatest risk of getting cut off from the Internet because of financial or technical reasons.
The study from the Pew Research Center found nearly one in five Americans depends on their smartphone Internet connection because they either have no broadband service or limited options to get online aside from their phone.
That group tends to be younger, lower-income and non-white, the survey of more than 2,000 adults found:
Almost half of those smartphone-dependent users have had to cancel their service at one time due to financial hardship, the report said. In that same group, 30 percent said they frequently reach their mobile data limit, and 51 percent occasionally do.
The report found the smartphone-dependent are less likely to have a bank account, be covered by health insurance or own their home. Lower-income users are twice as likely to use their phone to look for a job, the survey said, and four times more likely to use it to apply for a job.
Overall, Pew said 64 percent of Americans now own a smartphone, up from just 35 percent in 2011. Among the more interesting numbers from the report:
More people use their smartphones to text than to make calls (97 percent to 92 percent).
75 percent use their smartphone for social networking, 60 percent take photos, and 55 percent get their news from their phone. Just 41 percent regularly use them for maps or listening to music.
67 percent at least occasionally use their phone s turn-by-turn navigation for driving, 25 percent get public transit information, and 11 percent to hail a car or taxi.
62 percent have used their smartphone to look up a health condition, 57 percent do online banking, and 43 percent searched job listings — with 18 percent applying for jobs through their phone.
46 percent say they couldn t live without their smartphone, while 54 percent say it s not always needed.
Among 18-29-year-olds, 93 percent use their smartphone to avoid being bored, and 47 percent admit to using it to avoid interacting with those around them.
79 percent said their smartphone made them productive and 77 percent said it made them happy, but 57 percent said it made them distracted and 36 percent felt frustrated by their device.
At top: A commuter checks a news website on her smartphone before boarding a train in Chicago. (AP file photo/M. Spencer Green)
