December 2011

US Digital Media Usage:

A Snapshot of 2012
Nicole Perrin nperrin@emarketer.com
Contributors Monica Peart, Martin Utreras, Haixia Wang

Executive Summary: Theres no question that the internet has reached mass media status in the US. eMarketer estimates more than three-quarters of the total population will be online by 2012, and the majority of that group is doing much more than just email or search.
135520

Tablet Users, 2011 & 2012

UP 62.8%
54.8M
2012 2011

About two-thirds of web users, for example, will use social networks next year, and more than 90% of that group can be found on Facebook. As social networking overall and Facebook usage in particular begin to plateau, smaller sitesincluding Twitterare experiencing faster growth. Whether they can build up user bases to the hundreds of millions will help determine their value for marketers. Audience size is also growing more quickly for professional online video content, such as TV shows and movies, as web users turn to over-the-top solutions to watch online content on TV sets in addition to their desktops, laptops, tablets and, increasingly, mobile phones. Smartphone uptake and, in turn, mobile internet uptake, have facilitated more advanced mobile activities beyond video as well, including mobile shopping and buying, mobile gaming and more. As audiences consume more content on more devices and platforms, the chances for marketer interaction likewise increase as brands facilitate new experiences and activities for a mass digital population. Key Questions
How

33.7M
Mobile Internet Users, 2011 & 2012

UP 17.1%
113.9M
2012

97.3M
2011
Source: eMarketer, 2011
135520 www.eMarketer.com

quickly will the audiences for various digital media devices and platforms grow in 2012? many mobile users will take up smartphones and the mobile weband use them to shop and buy? many internet users will begin turning to the web for professional, long-form video content next year?

How

How

Digital Intelligence

Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

2012 US Digital Media Usage

Next year, the audience of internet users in the US will expand by 3.1% to 239 million, representing 75.6% of the total population. Social network usage will rise more than twice as quickly.

Facebook

239.0M
up 3.1% from 2011

Internet Users

The world's leading social network will reach 143.4 million US users in 2012, up from 132.5 million this year.

Social Network Users

157.8M
up 6.8% from 2011

Facebook Users

143.4M
up 8.2% from 2011

Twitter
Twitter will enjoy even higher growth, albeit from a small base. eMarketer estimates that more than 24 million online adults will use the service next year, representing 10% of the overall adult population.
US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012

Adult Twitter Users

up 16.7% from 2011

24.1M
Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecommerce
88.1% of US internet users ages 14 and up will browse or research products online in 2012, and 83.9% of that group will make at least one purchase via the web during the year.

Online Shoppers

184.3M
up 3.3% from 2011

Online Buyers
up 4.4% from 2011

154.6M

Social Gamers

68.7M

up 11.0% from 2011

Online Gaming
Online gaming is a mass activity, with 93.7 million US internet users expected to play casual online games via a web browser at least once per month next year. Many of those gamers will focus on social games played on sites like Facebook, where user growth will increase by double digits. Online console gaming will also inch up, but the real growth area is on mobile devices, where 82.5 million Americans will play games in 2012.

Online Casual Gamers

93.7M 40.1M
US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012

up 4.7% from 2011

Online Console Gamers

up 5.0% from 2011

Mobile Gamers

82.5M
Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

up 12.2% from 2011

Mobile Internet Users

113.9M
of smartphone users are mobile internet users

94%

up 17.1% from 2011

Smartphone Users

106.7M
up 18.4% from 2011

All Mobile Phone Users

242.6M
up 2.3% from 2011

Mobile Usage & M-Commerce

Growth in overall mobile users is low, with penetration expected to reach 76.7% in 2012. But the rapid increase in smartphone uptake is helping boost the mobile internet population, which will grow by more than 17% next year. Many advanced mobile users are turning into shoppers and buyers on the go. Nearly 73 million mobile users ages 14 and up will browse or research products and services on their phones in 2012, and most of those will do so via smartphones. Purchasing via mobile will also see increased traction.

72.8M
Mobile Buyers

Mobile Shoppers

37.5M
Smartphone Shoppers

68.6M
Smartphone Buyers

36.4M
US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012
Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

Online Video Viewers

Online Video Viewers

As more professional content becomes available online and on a variety of devices, including PCs, tablets and over-the-top boxes, premium video viewing is increasing in importance for US internet users.

169.3M

53.5% of population 70.8% of internet users up 7.1% from 2011

2012 2011 KEY

All Mobile Video Viewers

54.6M

Smartphone Video Viewers

17.3% of population 22.5% of mobile phone users 32.2% of online video viewers up 21.1% from 2011

51.2M

16.2% of population 48.0% of smartphone users 93.9% of mobile video viewers up 26.3% from 2011

Adult Online Movie Viewers

59.8M

Adult Online TV Viewers

24.9% of adult population 31.0% of adult internet users 44.3% of adult online video viewers up 27.4% from 2011

73.3M

30.5% of adult population 38.0% of adult internet users 54.3% of adult online video viewers up 18.3% from 2011

US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012

Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tablets & Ereaders

The iPad re-launched tablets as a coveted consumer product, and eMarketer expects they will continue to account for the lion's share of tablet users. In 2012, nearly 55 million Americans will use a tablet of some kind, a major increase from 2011 but still less than a quarter of all internet users.

76 of .

tab 4 w le % ill t u be se us iPa rs er d s

In 20 12

Tablet Users

54.8M
iPad Users

17.3% of population 22.9% of internet users up 62.8% from 2011

41.9M

13.2% of population 17.5% of internet users up 49.8% from 2011

Ereaders, more dedicated devices with limited media consumption capabilities, will have a similar reach among adult internet users (23.7%) as usage increases 37.2% over 2011.

Adult Ereader Users

45.6M

33
in

up

19.0% of adult population 23.7% of adult internet users up 37.2% from 2011

20 11

.3

fro

US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012

Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

Appendix: eMarketer Definitions

Ereaders

Online

are portable electronic devices designed primarily for purchasing, reading and storing digital versions of content such as books or periodicals. Examples include Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble NOOK and Sony Reader. users (adult) are individuals ages 18+ who use an ereader device at least once per month. users are internet users who access their Facebook account via any device at least once per month. users are individuals of any age who use the internet from any location via any device at least once per month. users are individuals of any age who use an iPad at least once per month. buyers are mobile phone users who have used their mobile phone to make at least one purchase via a web browser or mobile app within the past year. gamers are mobile phone users of any age who play games on mobile phones at least once per month; excludes pre-installed games on feature phones; excludes tablets. internet users are mobile phone users of any age who access the internet from a mobile browser or an installed application at least once per month; excludes SMS, MMS and IM. phone users are individuals of any age who own at least one mobile phone and use the phone(s) at least once per month. shoppers are mobile phone users who have used their mobile phone to browse, research or compare products via a web browser or mobile app within the past year, but have not necessarily made a purchase via mobile phone. video viewers are individuals of any age who watch video content on mobile phones through a mobile browser, subscription, download or application at least once per month. buyers are internet users ages 14+ who have made at least one purchase online within the past year. casual gamers are internet users of any age who play games via web browser at least once per month on a desktop or laptop computer; includes social games. console gamers are individuals of any age who play games online through a gaming console at least once per month. movie viewers (adult) are internet users ages 18+ who watch movies online at least once per month.

shoppers are internet users ages 14+ who have browsed, researched or compared products online within the past year, but have not necessarily bought online. TV viewers (adult) are internet users ages 18+ who watch TV shows online at least once per month. video viewers are internet users who watch video content online via any device at least once per month. are any voice handset with an advanced operating system (e.g., iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, etc.) and features/capabilities that resemble a PC. buyers are smartphone users who have used their smartphone to make at least one purchase via a web browser or mobile app within the past year. shoppers are smartphone users who have used their smartphone to browse, research or compare products via a web browser or mobile app within the past year, but have not necessarily made a purchase via smartphone. users are individuals of any age who use a smartphone at least once per month. video viewers are individuals of any age who watch video content on smartphones through a mobile browser, subscription, download or application at least once per month. gamers are social network users who play games on a social network site at least once per month. network sites are sites where the primary activities involve creating a profile and interacting with a network of contacts by sharing status updates, comments, photos or other content. network users are internet users who use a social network site via any device at least once per month. are devices with a touchscreen interface, screen sizes ranging from 5 to 12 inches, color displays, Wi-Fi and/or 3G internet connectivity, and advanced operating systems such as Apple iOS, Google Android, Windows 7 and BlackBerry. Examples include the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Dell Streak, Amazon Kindle Fire and ViewSonic ViewPad. users are individuals of any age who use a tablet at least once per month. users (adult) are internet users ages 18+ who access their Twitter account via any device at least once per month.

Online

Ereader

Online

Facebook

Smartphones

Internet

Smartphone

iPad

Mobile

Smartphone

Mobile

Smartphone

Mobile

Smartphone

Mobile

Social

Mobile

Social

Social

Mobile

Tablets

Online

Online

Tablet

Online

Twitter

Online

US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012

Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.

About eMarketer
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Editorial and Production Contributors

Susan Reiter Nicole Perrin Cliff Annicelli Dana Hill Joanne DiCamillo Stephanie Gehrsitz Allison Smith Alison Berge Elissa Hunter Chris McNinch Lindsey Carter Damian Chadwick Managing Editor Senior Editor Senior Copy Editor Production Manager Production Artist Production Artist Director of Charts Chart Editor Editor Chart Data Specialist Chart Data Specialist Senior Designer

US Digital Media Usage: A Snapshot of 2012

Copyright 2011 eMarketer, Inc. All rights reserved.