15% Of Americans Use 4 Or More Computing Devices

How many computing devices do you use? According to a new poll, 15% of Americans are using a whopping four or more! With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, the number of devices that each of us is using is skyrocketing, and that’s not all. Statistics show that people are wanting to access their computers from all sorts of places, including from bed, while on a date, and even while on their honeymoon. These new statistics, which will be released today, were the results of a poll of over 2,000 Americans by TeamViewer, a provider of remote access and control software, as well as tablet and smartphone apps. The poll results revealed the following: Almost two thirds of Americans are using more than 1 computing device (i.e. computer, smartphone or tablet) on a weekly bases 63% of Americans use at least 2 computing devices on a weekly basis 34% of Americans use at least 3 computing devices 15% of Americans use at least 4 computing devices 30% of Americans surveyed said that they are currently using more computing devices than in any prior year Furthermore, the survey found that people are interested in accessing their computing devices from basically everywhere: 74% want to access their computers, smartphones and tablets while on vacation 48% want to access their devices while in bed 36% while shopping with a spouse 29% while at a sporting event 17% while on their honeymoon 11% while on a date Of course, TeamViewer is using these statistics as an example to show how Americans can benefit from the use of their services. Holger Felgner, General Manager at TeamViewer, says, "These findings show that no matter what the situation, an overwhelming majority of Americans believe they should be able to remotely access all their devices, use applications and look for data anytime, anywhere. TeamViewer gives people the freedom to access all their applications and data, no matter how many different devices they have." That said, I think there is also a lot that can be inferred by these statistics about our newfound dependence on our social networks. Not a decade ago, our friends and loved ones would bid us farewell before heading out for a vacation. While they were gone, we may get a postcard from them and we would hear all about their trip and see their pictures when they got home. Today, our friends and loved ones bid us farewell and head out for vacation. We see their Tweet that they are at the airport, see a picture of clouds out the airplane window pop up in our Facebook newsfeed, get daily blog, photo and even video posts throughout the duration of their trip and, when they get back, we feel as if we travelled with them. Today, our date pulls out his Blackberry to respond to an email while we’re waiting for dessert, the last thing we do before we fall asleep is bid our friends and family "goodnight" on Skype, we upload pictures as we try on new clothes to get our friends’ opinions before we make a purchase, and none of these actions phases us. If we forget our smartphones at home, we feel naked and terrified that we’ll miss something. If our laptops crash, we’re devastated. For all of these reasons, it’s no surprise that the number of devices each of us have continues to grow. I’m still stuck in the Stone Age with just two computing devices—my MacBook Pro and my smartphone (which isn’t even an iPhone or Android, it’s a Nokia E72). But I, like many others, have dreams of stocking up on devices—an iPad, an iPhone, a second laptop in case my conks out…you know the drill. As a result of the fact that more and more people are glued to multiple devices, we’re seeing other industries change to accommodate. In a recent article, I wrote about Social TV and its potential to become a multi-billion dollar industry thanks to the fact that people are now viewing with two screens. Companies like SecondScreen and Social TV apps like Miso and GetGlue are taking advantage of this fact by offering extra features, content and interactivity on second screen devices like iPads, mobile devices and laptops. Soon consumers will have to have two screens if they want to take advantage of the full scale of entertainment. Additionally, all of our favorite online services (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and more) are going mobile, with mobile apps that let us view their content no matter where we are. As content and services become accessible in more places we want the tools to access them (translation: more devices). How many computing devices are you currently using on a weekly basis? We’d love to hear from you! Image credit: Abduzeedo Megan O’Neill is the resident web video enthusiast here at Social Times. Megan covers everything from the latest viral videos to online video news and tips, and has a passion for bizarre, original and revolutionary content and ideas.

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15% Of Americans Use 4 Or More Computing Devices

How many computing devices do you use? According to a new poll, 15% of Americans are using a whopping four or more!

Megan O'Neill

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Megan O'Neill