Digital Inclusion

Pew: Technology Divides Persist Amid Increased Reliance on Smartphones

As smartphone use increases, broadband subscriptions have decreased, the survey found.

Kelcie Lee

Kelcie Lee

— 1 min read
Pew: Technology Divides Persist Amid Increased Reliance on Smartphones
Photo of a child holding an iPhone by Kiichiro Sato/AP

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2026 – Technology, broadband and digital divides continue to persist across income-levels and demographics in 2025, despite a continuous rise and reliance on smartphone use in the U.S., a newly published Pew Research Center study found. 

Pew conducted its annual technology survey from February to June 2025, a survey that Pew has used for research since 2000. The results were released on Jan. 8, 2026.

In alignment with 2023 and 2024, Pew said nine-in-ten U.S. adults use the internet daily, with 41 percent saying they are online almost constantly. \

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