Has mobile media reached its tipping point in the US?

Intersting news breaking this week about the use of mobile phones in the US.  Apparently, like much of the rest of the world, a majority of Americans now carry their cell phones with them “at all times” – even inside their homes.  This coming from a study released this week by Knowledge Networks.

In other parts of the world, where the hard wiring required for phones for the past 100 years ran up against ancient buildings, incredibly dense populations or remote locations, mobile phones were often adopted as the appliance of choice for people who wanted to stay in touch.  The distribution of phones in countries like Japan and Germany lead phone companies in those countries to adopt a later, more versatile standard for mobile communications – resulting in an explosion of SMS and other mobile communications streams.

The US, by comparison, looked somewhat backward by comparison.  But with a market like the US, it doesn’t tkae very long for developers to find new ways to engage consumers and drive interest and utility in a device liek a mobile phone.  Knowledge Networks study found that in addition to traditional communications, Americans are using their mobile communications devices to help make shopping decisions, as enteratinment hubs, for research “on-the-go” and for GPS-type functions.

While only one in eight users are currently surfing the Internet with their phone, that number seems to be growing quickly.  That usage seems to be driven by younger consumers (aged 13 – 29) who want more features on a cell phone (6 out of 10), while only one in four of their parents’ generation (Baby Boomers) are interested in more features.

Mobile media use as an indicator of other media adoption
There seems to be some connection between the prolific use of mobile media (adept consumers) and the heavy use of other media.  According to the report:

[C]onsumers (age 18-64) who use cell-phone video spend 27% more time per week with media (more than 2 hours or more/day) compared with all mobile phone owners. This includes 60% more time on the internet, and almost triple the amount of time with videogames.

About the research:
The findings are produced as part of Knowledge Networks’ Home Technology Monitor research on consumers’ ownership and use of new and established media technologies. The study included interviews with 765 members (age 13-64) of KnowledgePanel and an in-depth ethnographic study of cellular phone use by consumers in different households. Selected benchmark trends vs. a 2002 study of cellular phone use are also included.

To learn more about this study, click here.

Hat tip to Marketing VOX for this story.