Annenberg study shows increase in technology use

The Center for the Digital Future at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism released its 15th annual report detailing technology’s footprint in the United States this month.

The study explores how digital technology is changing American lives, and has two objectives: to explore actions and opinions related to the use or non-use of online technology, and to chronicle the emergence of changes as they occur.

92 percent of respondents in the 2016 report’s claimed to be internet user, compared to 67 percent of respondents in 2000. Similarly, weekly internet use has increased. In the the newest report, respondents claimed to spend an average of nearly 24 hours per week on the internet. In 2000, respondents spent less than 10 hours per week on the internet.

Internet use at home has grown nearly sixfold since the initial study was conducted, jumping from 3.3 hours per week to 17.6 hours per week.

Students in particular have utilized the internet more in recent years. In 2009, only 32 percent of students claimed to do schoolwork on the internet. By 2016, that number more than doubled to 65 percent.

Much of this has been gradual and organic, but in some cases, such as many Annenberg classes, laptops are required in class.

Respondents who claimed to be technology users seemed to see these trends toward digital connectivity as either benign or positive influences on society.

In each study, the majority of respondents answered that they believe that communication technology makes the world a better place.

However, non-user respondents have leaned further in the opposite direction as the years have passed. 43 percent of respondents claimed that it has a negative impact and only 35 percent said that it has a positive impact, according to the 2016 report.

In contrast,  in 2000, 49 percent of non-users believed that communication technology makes the world a better place, with only 17 percent believing that it makes the world a worse place.