December 10, 2015 — The USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future has released its 2015 study on the impact of digital technology in the United States.

2015-Digital-Future-Report-coverThe 170-page study includes findings on more than 180 issues, among them: the impact of the Internet on politics and political campaigns, the reliability and accuracy of website information, the Internet and government regulation, free speech online, online consumer behavior, privacy and personal security, children and the Internet, and negative attention online (bullying and sexual harassment).

2015 Digital Future Report: Background

The Digital Future Report has been produced annually by the Center for the Digital Future since 2000.  It is the longest continuing study of its kind, and was the first to develop a longitudinal panel study of the views and behavior of Internet users and non-users in the United States.  The current survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent.

The study’s broad categories are:

  • Internet users and non-users
  • Media use and trust
  • Consumer behavior
  • Communication patterns
  • Social effects

The Center for the Digital Future

Since 1999, the Center for the Digital Future (digitalcenter.org) in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism has examined the behavior and views of a national sample of Internet users and non-users in major annual surveys of the impact of the Internet on America.  The center also created and organizes the World Internet Project, which includes similar research with 37 international partners.

To view the report and previous studies, visit www.digitalcenter.org/reports.