Skip to main content

All the cool kids prefer smartphones over computers

cellmostlyThe future of Internet connectivity might just be smartphones.

Teens and Technology 2013, a new study released on Wednesday by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, noted the shifting relationship between the today’s youth and the Internet. Drawing on phone interviews with 802 parents and their children aged 12 through 17 years between July and September last year, the report cited that an obvious 95 percent of teens use the Internet, with 93 percent able to gain computer access at home (71 percent say that the home computer is one shared with other family members). Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the computer is what they’re using to get online.

Recommended Videos

A good 23 percent of teens taking part in the survey own a tablet device, a percentage reportedly comparable with the adult population of the United States. However, numbers skewed when the question of smartphone usage was introduced; The study found that 78 percent of teens have a cellphone, with almost half of that group (47 percent) upgrading to their own smartphone. If our math is correct, that amounts to 37 percent of all teens with smartphones – a significant jump from the 2011 number of 23 percent.

Odder still – and, perhaps, something that may be more of a sign of next generation net use – is the report’s notice that one in four teens are described as “cell mostly” users, a term that translates as users who “mostly” access the Internet using their phone as opposed to any other device. That number is far above the adult average, which runs at 15 percent.

Demographically, older girls are particularly likely to be cell mostly, with 34 percent of girls aged 14 through 17 using the Internet via their phones, compared with 24 percent of boys the same age. “This is notable since boys and girls are equally likely to be smartphone owners,” the report adds.

For those of us who tend to view our phones’ browsers as situational, “okay for now” options but prefer something larger (and with a more user-friendly keyboard) like a laptop, this finding may seem like an alien, nearly inexplicable choice. Mary Madden, Pew’s Internet Project Senior Researcher and co-author of the report, suggests that it’s simply the wave of the future unfolding in front of our eyes. “The nature of teens’ internet use has transformed dramatically — from stationary connections tied to shared desktops in the home to always-on connections that move with them throughout the day,” she explained.

“In many ways, teens represent the leading edge of mobile connectivity, and the patterns of their technology use often signal future changes in the adult population,” Madden added. That’s finally some good news for the smartphone manufacturers of the world.

Graeme McMillan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A transplant from the west coast of Scotland to the west coast of America, Graeme is a freelance writer with a taste for pop…
Topics
Will my iPad get iPadOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iPadOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPad update
iPadOS 26 home screen on an iPad

Apple announced iPadOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPad update comes with a fresh new look and plenty of features. Apple has ensured there are plenty of iPadOS 26 supported slates, so if you have a relatively new iPad you should get the update this year.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iPadOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iPadOS 19 in 2025, we got iPadOS 26 alongside iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26.

Read more
Will my Apple Watch get watchOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of watchOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new Apple Watch update
watchOS 26 on a trio of Apple Watches

Apple announced watchOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new Watch update comes with a fresh new look and plenty of features. Apple has ensured there are plenty of watchOS 26 supported devices, so if you have a relatively new Watch you should get the update this year.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since watchOS 11 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us watchOS 12 in 2025, we got watchOS 26 alongside iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.

Read more
8 key things you need to know from Apple’s WWDC 2025 event
From a fresh look and updated names, to new features, more intelligence and live translation
iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 shown on devices.

The WWDC 2025 keynote ran for just over an hour and a half. For those of you who don't fancy sitting through the whole presentation, we've pulled out the key things you need to know from the latest Apple event.

1. Welcome to the 26 club

Read more