Chapter Three: A “Week in the Life” Analysis of Smartphone Users
BY AARON SMITH
Pew Research Center technology surveys (such as those that form the basis of Chapters 1 and 2 of this report) typically ask respondents whether they use various devices or online platforms, the ways in which they incorporate those tools and platforms into their lives, and the impact of those technologies on their attitudes and experiences. These traditional survey methodologies can help provide a broad view of the use and impact of technology among the American public. But survey respondents often have trouble remembering and providing precise details of their day-to-day lives — such as the number of times they have taken a particular action in the course of a week.
In an effort to gain a more fine-grained view into the ways that smartphone owners use their devices on a daily basis, Pew Research conducted a week-long survey of smartphone owners. In this survey, respondents were contacted on multiple occasions (by email, text message, and/or via an app installed on the respondent’s phone) and asked a short series of questions about how they had used their phone in the hour prior to taking the survey. This type of survey, in which respondents are asked about their experiences or behaviors at specific times over the course of the study period, is known as an “experience sampling” survey.