UMD journalism senior prefers Twitter and other mobile apps over web browsers on mobile phone

With smartphones becoming more omnipresent, the public is more reliant than ever on their phones. 

One in ten Americans can only access the internet at home through their smartphones. Even people who do have broadband in their house often use their smartphones for important tasks, such as looking up health and job information. More than half of smartphone users use their phones to do online banking (57 percent) and almost half of users look up real estate listings and places to live on those devices.

With so many Americans smartphone-dependent, mobile apps are important to news organizations. Apps are developed by organizations. When people click on an app they are redirected to an organization’s content. 

Senior journalism major Ryan Baillargoen prefers apps to web browsers, such as Safari, when he’s consuming news on his phone. While he often reads news on his phone before class or when he’s on the go, Baillargeon said he rarely, if ever, goes to Safari and types a news organization’s website url into the browser. Instead, he looks for links on Twitter or interesting stories on the Washington Post or New York Times. Baillargeon, a situational user, will click on a story if he’s intrigued by the headline or tweet.

Even five years ago, smartphones weren’t as important. In spring 2011, 35 percent of Americans had a smartphone. Now, 64 percent of Americans have a smartphone as the younger generation is increasingly reliant on the small devices.