In a fragmented media atmosphere with seemingly countless sources of data to select from, People’ information habits have modified dramatically within the twenty first century. Immediately, an amazing majority of People get information a minimum of generally from digital gadgets. This truth sheet seems on the platforms People flip to for information, together with patterns and traits.
Information consumption throughout platforms
A big majority of U.S. adults (86%) say they a minimum of generally get information from a smartphone, pc or pill, together with 57% who say they achieve this typically. These figures are virtually equivalent to the share who obtained information from digital gadgets in 2023.
Digital gadgets are by far the commonest manner People get information, though a majority (63%) get information from tv a minimum of generally. The portion of People who typically get information from TV has stayed pretty regular over the previous couple of years, now standing at 33%.
People flip to radio and print publications for information far much less regularly. In 2024, simply 26% of U.S. adults say they typically or generally get information in print, the bottom quantity our surveys have recorded.
When requested which of those platforms they desire to get information on, 58% of People say they like a digital gadget, far larger than the share preferring TV (32%). Comparatively few People desire radio (6%) or print (4%).
Information platform preferences
% of U.S. adults who desire ____ for getting information
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
Word: “Digital gadgets” embrace smartphones, computer systems and tablets.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Information platform preferences
% of U.S. adults who desire ____ for getting information
| 12 months | Digital gadgets | Tv | Radio | Print publications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 58% | 32% | 6% | 4% |
| 2023 | 58 | 27 | 6 | 5 |
| 2022 | 53 | 33 | 7 | 5 |
| 2021 | 50 | 36 | 7 | 5 |
| 2020 | 52 | 35 | 7 | 5 |
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
Word: “Digital gadgets” embrace smartphones, computer systems and tablets.
Information throughout digital platforms
There are a number of completely different pathways People use to get information on their digital gadgets. Information web sites or apps and search engines like google and yahoo are the commonest: About two-thirds of U.S. adults a minimum of generally get information in every of those methods. A little bit greater than half (54%) a minimum of generally get information from social media, and 27% say the identical about podcasts.
Information web sites or apps are additionally probably the most most popular supply for information. A few quarter of U.S. adults (23%) say they like to get their information this fashion, in contrast with 18% preferring social media, 12% preferring search and 5% preferring podcasts. The share of People preferring social media has elevated by 6 share factors since 2023.
Learn extra about how People get information on social media.
Digital information platform preferences
% of U.S. adults who desire ___ for getting information
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Digital information platform preferences
% of U.S. adults who desire ___ for getting information
| 12 months | Search | Information web sites | Social media | Podcasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12% | 23% | 18% | 5% |
| 2023 | 15 | 25 | 12 | 6 |
| 2022 | 12 | 23 | 13 | 4 |
| 2021 | 11 | 24 | 10 | 4 |
| 2020 | 12 | 26 | 11 | 3 |
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
Who makes use of every information platform?
Information consumption throughout platforms varies by age, gender, race, ethnicity, academic attainment and political leaning. For instance, People ages 50 and older are extra doubtless than youthful adults to show to tv and print publications for information – and fewer doubtless to make use of digital sources like social media or podcasts.
Contents
% of U.S. adults in every demographic group who get information a minimum of generally from …
| Tv | Radio | Print publications |
Digital gadgets | |
| Complete | 63% | 42% | 26% | 86% |
| Males | 61 | 42 | 25 | 86 |
| Ladies | 66 | 42 | 27 | 85 |
| Ages 18-29 | 46 | 27 | 18 | 91 |
| 30-49 | 51 | 43 | 19 | 91 |
| 50-64 | 72 | 51 | 26 | 87 |
| 65+ | 86 | 43 | 43 | 70 |
| White | 65 | 44 | 28 | 86 |
| Black | 75 | 43 | 26 | 83 |
| Hispanic | 60 | 38 | 21 | 85 |
| Asian* | 47 | 25 | 18 | 91 |
| Highschool or much less | 69 | 42 | 26 | 77 |
| Some school | 63 | 42 | 24 | 89 |
| Faculty+ | 57 | 42 | 28 | 92 |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 65 | 46 | 24 | 86 |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 63 | 39 | 29 | 87 |
Word: White, Black and Asian adults embrace those that report being just one race and should not Hispanic; Hispanic adults are of any race.
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
% of U.S. adults in every demographic group who get information a minimum of generally from …
| Information web sites or apps |
Social media | Search | Podcasts | |
| Complete | 66% | 54% | 66% | 27% |
| Males | 68 | 49 | 65 | 30 |
| Ladies | 64 | 59 | 66 | 24 |
| Ages 18-29 | 62 | 78 | 74 | 34 |
| 30-49 | 70 | 64 | 70 | 34 |
| 50-64 | 71 | 45 | 65 | 23 |
| 65+ | 56 | 28 | 53 | 14 |
| White | 66 | 49 | 64 | 25 |
| Black | 64 | 58 | 70 | 29 |
| Hispanic | 64 | 67 | 65 | 31 |
| Asian* | 69 | 65 | 73 | 30 |
| Highschool or much less | 55 | 54 | 60 | 22 |
| Some school | 66 | 57 | 68 | 27 |
| Faculty+ | 76 | 52 | 69 | 32 |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 64 | 55 | 65 | 28 |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 70 | 55 | 68 | 27 |
Word: White, Black and Asian adults embrace those that report being just one race and should not Hispanic; Hispanic adults are of any race.
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
Contents
% of U.S. adults in every demographic group who desire ___ for getting information
| Tv | Radio | Print publications |
Digital gadgets | |
| Complete | 32% | 6% | 4% | 58% |
| Males | 29 | 6 | 4 | 60 |
| Ladies | 34 | 5 | 4 | 56 |
| Ages 18-29 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 86 |
| 30-49 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 72 |
| 50-64 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 46 |
| 65+ | 60 | 5 | 8 | 27 |
| White | 33 | 7 | 5 | 55 |
| Black | 43 | 3 | 3 | 50 |
| Hispanic | 27 | 3 | 3 | 66 |
| Asian* | 14 | 3 | 2 | 79 |
| Highschool or much less | 41 | 5 | 4 | 49 |
| Some school | 32 | 5 | 3 | 59 |
| Faculty+ | 21 | 6 | 5 | 67 |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 32 | 7 | 3 | 57 |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 30 | 5 | 5 | 59 |
Word: White, Black and Asian adults embrace those that report being just one race and should not Hispanic; Hispanic adults are of any race.
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
% of U.S. adults in every demographic group who desire ___ for getting information
| Information web sites or apps |
Social media | Search | Podcasts | |
| Complete | 23% | 18% | 12% | 5% |
| Males | 25 | 17 | 12 | 6 |
| Ladies | 20 | 19 | 13 | 3 |
| Ages 18-29 | 19 | 43 | 17 | 6 |
| 30-49 | 27 | 22 | 16 | 7 |
| 50-64 | 26 | 7 | 10 | 3 |
| 65+ | 17 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| White | 25 | 14 | 11 | 5 |
| Black | 15 | 20 | 12 | 3 |
| Hispanic | 18 | 31 | 13 | 4 |
| Asian* | 30 | 27 | 16 | 6 |
| Highschool or much less | 13 | 19 | 12 | 4 |
| Some school | 21 | 19 | 14 | 5 |
| Faculty + | 34 | 16 | 11 | 6 |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 21 | 18 | 13 | 6 |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 26 | 18 | 11 | 4 |
Word: White, Black and Asian adults embrace those that report being just one race and should not Hispanic; Hispanic adults are of any race.
Supply: Survey of U.S. adults carried out July 15-Aug. 4, 2024.
Discover out extra
This truth sheet was compiled by Analysis Assistant Christopher St. Aubin and Analysis Analyst Jacob Liedke.
Learn the methodology and the topline.
Pew Analysis Middle is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its major funder. That is the newest evaluation in Pew Analysis Middle’s ongoing investigation of the state of stories, data and journalism within the digital age, a analysis program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with beneficiant help from the John S. and James L. Knight Basis.
Observe these hyperlinks for extra in-depth evaluation of stories consumption:
- Social Media and Information Reality Sheet (Sept. 17, 2024)
- How People Get Native Political Information (July 24, 2024)
- Greater than half of People are following election information carefully, and plenty of are already worn out (Might 28, 2024)
- People’ Altering Relationship With Native Information (Might 7, 2024)
- How Hispanic People Get Their Information (March 19, 2024)
- People are following the information much less carefully than they used to (Oct. 24, 2023)
- Black People’ Experiences With Information (Sept. 26, 2023)
- For Nationwide Radio Day, key details about radio listeners and the radio trade within the U.S. (Aug. 17, 2023)
- Podcasts as a Supply of Information and Info (April 18, 2023)
- The Function of Different Social Media within the Information and Info Surroundings (Oct. 6, 2022)
Learn all our experiences and weblog posts associated to information platforms and sources.
CORRECTION (Oct. 16, 2024): The topline for this survey beforehand included incorrect figures (confer with topline for particulars). These have been up to date within the topline and don’t have an effect on the general findings on this evaluation. Nothing on this web page has been modified.