Smartphones are starting to become ubiquitous and it’s becoming hard to find someone without one. This sentiment appears to be relatively true because according to the latest research conducted by Pew Research, it turns out that more than half of Americans now own a smartphone, 64% to be exact.This is quite a huge leap especially when you consider that about three years ago, that number was at the 35% mark. That being said despite smartphone ownership being on the rise, the ability to maintain the device is also becoming increasingly difficult for some. The research found that 23% of smartphone owners and 48% of those who are dependent on the device has had to shut down or suspend their service due to its cost, which in some cases and some plans could run in the hundreds every month.
In fact 20% of those surveyed stated that they found their monthly data plan to be a “financial burden”, hinting that despite smartphones becoming the standard method of communications, there are still plenty of users out there who are in some ways forcing themselves to partake in the trend even if it means costing them more than they can afford.
According to Aaron Smith, a senior researcher at Pew Research Center, “The connections to online resources that smartphones facilitate are often most tenuous for those users who rely on those connections the most … but for many users this access may not be available when they need it due to financial stresses or technical constraints.”
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