How Americans Have Used — and Struggled With — the Internet During the Pandemic

Pew Research Center released a sweeping report looking at how Americans have used the internet in the pandemic, how reliant they were on digital tools, and some of the struggles they have had as they tried to conduct many of the work-related, educational, social and community activities of their lives online. The headlines from the survey included:

• 90% of adults say the internet has been essential or important to them during the pandemic – and between April 2020 and April 2021 the share of those reporting the internet has been essential to them rose slightly from 53% to 58%.
• 40% of adults say they have used tech or the internet in ways new or different to them during the pandemic. A notable share of that new activity was video calling or conferencing for everything from work and school to essential tasks, connecting with friends and family or attending things like doctor’s appointments or church services. Overall, 81% of Americans reported ever talking with others via video call during the pandemic.
• 29% of broadband users did something to improve the speed, reliability or quality of their high-speed internet connection at home since the beginning of the outbreak.

Still, the survey found that people’s tech use has not been unqualifiedly great for everyone. The amount of effort some people made to stay connected took its toll. For instance, 40% of those who have ever talked with others via video calls since the beginning of the pandemic say they have felt worn out or fatigued often or sometimes by the time they spend on them. And the survey finds that a third of all adults say they tried to cut back on time spent on their smartphone or the internet at some point during the pandemic. The pandemic also brought into focus some key digital divide issues:

• 48% of home broadband users say they have problems with the speed, reliability or quality of their home connection often or sometimes.
• 26% of home broadband users and 24% of smartphone owners said in the April 2021 survey that they worried a lot or some about paying their internet and cellphone bills over the next few months. And the numbers are more pronounced for those with lower incomes.