23% of U.S. teenagers have a tablet device

 

23% of teens own a tablet; .67 tablets with access to library resources are available per 100 students.In March of this year, the Pew Research Center conducted a study on teenage technology use (http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-and-Tech.aspx ), and found that mobile access to the internet among teens is “pervasive.” According to the study, almost half of teens (47%) own a smartphone, and almost 1 in 4 (23%) own a tablet (which is comparable to the general adult population). Additionally, almost 3 in 4 teens (74%) say that they use mobile devices to check the internet at least occasionally, and 1 in 4 (25%) claim to be “cell-mostly” internet users. This apparent enthusiasm for mobile technologies, such as tablet devices, has not yet been matched by the institutions charged with educating teens—not in Colorado, at least. For the 2012-2013 school year, responses to the Colorado School Library Survey indicate that in Colorado’s public high schools, there is a median of less than one tablet (0.67) with access to library resources per 100 students.

Are you looking for funding sources to purchase tablets for your library? Check out these links for possible grant opportunities:

For more information about technology in Colorado school libraries, see our Fast Facts, Colorado School Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies, 2011-2012, as well as the 2012-2013 Colorado School Library Survey results.

Note: This post is part of our series, “The Weekly Number.” In this series, we highlight statistics that help tell the story of the 21st century library.