Study: Mobile Web Dominates College Life

Not sure if you're ready to spend the time and money it takes to develop a mobile music marketing strategy?  This stat might help you decide: more undergrads have mobile web device than a desktop computer.  While most teens still rely on feature phones, college students have graduated to mobile internet devices including smartphones, tablets and mobile game consoles.

According to the “ECAR Stu  dy of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology” for the Center for Applied Research, 62.7% of US undergraduates surveyed had an internet-capable handheld device. 83.8% had a laptop and 45.9% owned a desktop PC.

Ownership of internet-enabled handheld devices increased by more than 11% just between 2009 and spring 2010, with the number of students planning to purchase such a device in the next year holding steady. The study was fielded before the release of the iPad, which many students expressed a specific interest in purchasing.

The devices have also begun to play a bigger role in students’ lives. In 2010, 42.6% reported using the devices every day and two-thirds did so at least once a week.