Digital Lifestyles in the U.S. 2020

Topics of the survey

• Digital literacy
• Digital socializing
• Digital media consumption
• Digitalization of shopping
• Digital hobbies & leisure time
• Digital organizing at home
• Digital welfare
• Digital interaction with brands & companies
• Products & devices
• Characteristics & demographics

• Method: Online survey
• Survey name: GCS Special: Digital Lifestyles in the U.S.
• Region: United States
• Number of respondents: 1,049
• Age of respondents: 16 years and older
• Type of respondents: residential online population
• Survey time period: September 17 to 29, 2020

• Gender
• Age
• Income

Digital literacy

• Thinking about how you engage with the digital world generally, which of the following statements do you agree with?
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Searching for information online
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Using office packages
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Using e-mail
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Using social media
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Using messenger services
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Video calling apps
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Setting up accounts on websites/services
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Online shopping
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Problem solving i.e., using FAQs/tutorials/chats
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Digital privacy
• Thinking about your current level of digital expertise, please rate your level of competence/understanding about the following digital topics: / Online payment
• Have you taken or are you planning to take any training courses related to digital skills? Please exclude all courses offered by your school, university, and/or workplace.
• Please select all of the following digital topics you took a course in over the past 12 months. Exclude all courses offered by your school, university, and/or workplace.
• And which of these courses did you have to pay for?
• Which of the following topics do you plan to take a course in over the next 12 months?
• Which of the following statements do you agree with?
• When you think about your digital privacy, which of the following apply to you?

• Thinking about the way you interact socially online, which of the following statements do you agree with?
• Which of these digital methods did you use to communicate with friends and family in the past 12 months?
• Social media usage
• In general, what are your reasons for using social media?
• In general, when do you use social media?
• Which of the following have you done on social media in the past 4 weeks?
• Which of the following have you done on social media in the past 4 weeks?
• Have you expressed your opinion about any of the following topics on social media in the past 4 weeks ?
• Social media usage active vs. passive
• Which of the following social media platforms do you know (even if just by name)?
• And which of these social media platforms do you use regularly?
• Overall usage frequency
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Facebook
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Flickr
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Instagram
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / LinkedIn
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Pinterest
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Reddit
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Snapchat
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / TikTok
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Tumblr
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Twitter
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / WeChat
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / YouTube
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Foursquare
• How often do you normally use the following social media platforms? / Yelp
• Usage frequency Facebook
• Usage frequency Flickr
• Usage frequency Instagram
• Usage frequency LinkedIn
• Usage frequency Pinterest
• Usage frequency Reddit
• Usage frequency Snapchat
• Usage frequency TikTok
• Usage frequency Tumblr
• Usage frequency Twitter
• Usage frequency WeChat
• Usage frequency YouTube
• Usage frequency Foursquare
• Usage frequency Yelp
• Overall usage intensity
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Facebook
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Flickr
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Instagram
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / LinkedIn
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Pinterest
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Reddit
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Snapchat
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / TikTok
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Tumblr
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Twitter
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / WeChat
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / YouTube
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Foursquare
• Approximately, how long do you spend on the following social media platforms in an average week? / Yelp
• Usage Intensity Facebook
• Usage Intensity Flickr
• Usage Intensity Instagram
• Usage Intensity LinkedIn
• Usage Intensity Pinterest
• Usage Intensity Reddit
• Usage Intensity Snapchat
• Usage Intensity TikTok
• Usage Intensity Tumblr
• Usage Intensity Twitter
• Usage Intensity WeChat
• Usage Intensity YouTube
• Usage Intensity Foursquare
• Usage Intensity Yelp
• Digital platform usage
• Which of the following digital platforms do you know, even if only by name?
• Which of the following digital platforms did you use for personal purposes in the last 4 weeks?
• Video calling usage
• Video calling frequency
• How often do you normally use video calls for personal purposes?

• The following questions are about digital media services. Which of the following statements do you agree with?
• Which of the following digital media services have you used in the past 12 months?
• When or where do you use your digital media services?
• How often do you normally use these services? / Audiobooks (download/streaming)
• How often do you normally use these services? / eBooks
• How often do you normally use these services? / Digital music content (download/streaming)
• How often do you normally use these services? / Digital video content (download/streaming)
• How often do you normally use these services? / eNewspapers & eMagazines
• How often do you normally use these services? / Online radio
• How often do you normally use these services? / Podcasts
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / Audiobooks (download/streaming)
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / eBooks
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / Digital music content (download/streaming)
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / Digital video content (download/streaming)
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / eNewspapers & eMagazines
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / Online radio
• Approximately, how many hours in an average week do you use these services? / Podcasts
• Media frequency Audiobooks
• Media intensity Audiobooks
• Which platform(s) have you used to listen to audiobooks (streamed/downloaded) in the past 12 months as a paying customer?
• Media frequency eBooks
• Media intensity eBooks
• Which device(s) do you normally use to read eBooks?
• Which platform(s) have you used to get eBooks in the past 12 months as a paying customer?
• You said you have an eReader. What brand of eReader is it? If you have more than one, please select the brand you generally use more often.
• Concerning eBooks and/or audiobooks, what type of content do you consume?
• Media frequency Digital music
• Media intensity Digital music
• Which of these music streaming platform(s) have you used in the past 12 months as a paying customer?
• Concerning digital music (streaming /downloading), which genres do you consume?
• Media frequency Digital video
• Media intensity Digital video
• Which platform(s) have you used to watch video content (streaming/downloading) in the past 12 months as a paying customer?
• Concerning digital video (streaming/downloading), which genres are you interested in?
• Media frequency eNewspapers
• Media intensity eNewspapers
• Concerning eMagazines and eNewspapers, what type of content do you consume?
• Media frequency Podcasts
• Media intensity Podcasts
• Which platform(s) did you use to stream/download podcasts in the past 12 months as a paying customer?
• Concerning podcasts, what type of content do you consume?
• Media frequency Online radio
• Media intensity Online radio
• Do you use a second device or screen while watching TV or video content?
• If yes, which devices do you normally use in parallel?
• And what do you do on the second device?

• Which of the following statements do you agree with?
• How often do you normally purchase products online?
• Online Shopper
• Online shopping frequency
• Which type of products have you bought online in the past 12 months?
• Before purchasing products online, how did you first become aware of the product(s)? Please think about the past 12 months
• Product awareness
• Before purchasing a product online in the past 12 months, did you do any research into the product?
• Product research
• What were the most important reasons for deciding where to purchase products online? Please think about the past 12 months
• How did you pay for the products purchased online in the past 12 months?
• Which online shopping or marketplace websites have you purchased any products from in the past 12 months?
• Which of the following online payment systems have you used in the past 12 months to purchase these products online?
• Feedback provider
• After purchasing a product online in the past 12 months, did you provide any feedback/reviews? If so, where?
• Feedback type
• Which topics did you cover in your feedback/reviews?
• When you are at a physical store, do you use the internet on a device for any of the following? Please think about the past 12 months
• When you shopped at a physical store, which payment method(s) did you use in the past 12 months?

• The following questions are about your interests and hobbies. Which of the following statements do you agree with?
• Which of the following occupies your leisure time?
• Digital hobby engagement
• Which of your hobbies or interests do you engage digitally with (e.g., use an app, watch online tutorials, discuss on forums, etc.)?
• Health and fitness digital engagement
• The following questions are about how digital technology interacts with health and fitness. Which of the following applies to you?
• Why do you use fitness apps and tracking devices?
• Which of the following tracking devices / smartwatches with fitness functions do you own?
• Have you used online dating in the past 12 months?
• You said you use online dating; what were the reasons you decided to start online dating?
• Which of the following platforms have you used in the past 12 months?
• Onlinedating paid
• And for which of these services did you pay?
• Online course participant
• Have you taken online training courses (e.g., master classes) in any of these fields in the past 12 months?
• Masterclass paid
• And for which of these courses did you pay for?

• Which of the following statements do you agree with?
• The following questions are about working from home. Have you worked from home in the past 12 months?
• Thinking about working from home, which of the following statements do you agree with?
• What were the reasons you worked from home in the past 12 months?
• Worked from home / ... COVID-19 in the past 12 months

• Which of these statements do you agree with?
• Wellbeing Impact
• How has the growing influence of online and digital technology impacted your mental well-being?
• Which of the following statements do you agree with?

• How do you prefer to contact brands or companies online?
• When you think about brands and companies on social media, which types of content are you interested in seeing from them?
• And in what way do you like to receive this content from brands and companies on social media?
• Where have you seen or heard ads online in the past 4 weeks?
• Consumer reaction to advertising
• Which of these advertisements caused you to actively click on them or look up additional information?

• Which devices do you use regularly at home?
• Mobile and stationary user
• Which operating systems do you use on your computer (e.g.,desktop or laptop)?
• Which operating systems do you use on your mobile devices (e.g., tablet or smartphone)?
• Which virtual assistants do you use with your smart speakers?
• The following questions are about which digital services you use. How do you prefer to register when using a new digital service, platform, or product?
• Which account do you mainly use when logging into a new digital service, platform, or product?
• Do you use any of these cloud storage solutions for personal use?
• Cloud storage usage
• What do you use your cloud storage services for?
• Do you use any of these services and/or software to create and/or edit word, spreadsheet, and/or presentation files for personal tasks?
• Office Suite usage

• What is your gender?
• Age, categorial
• Age (generations)
• What is your marital status?
• Ethnicity
• Which of the following best describes you?
• Where do you currently live?
• Region
• What is your primary language?
• What is the highest level of education you have completed?
• What is the highest level of education you have completed?
• Which of the following categories best describes your current employment status?
• How much total combined money do all members of your household earn annually? This includes money from jobs; net income from business, farm, or rent; pensions; dividends; interest; social security payments; and any other money income received by members o
• Income
• How big is the town you live in?
• In what type of community do you live?
• What is your current living situation (main residence)?
• How many people – including yourself and all children – permanently live in your household?
• Household size classification
• How many children and teenagers below 14 years of age permanently live in your household, no matter if they are your natural children or not?
• Out of the following list, which are the 3 most important aspects to you in life? Please choose exactly 3.
• Political orientation
• Politics are sometimes associated with