Smart Speakers Surge as Moms Turn to Tech for Assistance

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, May 6, 2021

Edison Research

Forty-six percent of U.S. moms own a smart speaker, up from 33% last year, according to the Moms and Media 2021 study just released by The Research Moms of Edison Research. The latest installment of the annual report shows just how much U.S. moms look to voice assistants and mobile tech as they spend more time at home with kids and share work and school spaces.

Sixty-three percent of U.S. moms now use voice-operated personal assistants of any kind, including smart speakers, smart phones, tablets, computers and other devices. Of those moms who own a smart speaker, they own an average of 2.7 of the devices.

According to Edison Research Vice President Melissa DeCesare, who is also one of The Research Moms, "The past year during COVID has been about adjustment, especially for moms. The pandemic uprooted everything we knew and were familiar with and it forced a new at-home lifestyle for the entire family. Moms are tasked with keeping it all on track and they do it with help from modern technology. Our 2021 report shows that moms have not only maintained their commitment to devices and mobile tendencies, but they've actually adjusted their habits to better suit their needs during the pandemic."

Key findings include:

• Moms are more connected than ever via the Internet: 93% of U.S. moms have Internet access at home, and 81% of moms access the Internet through their cell phone.

• Moms are spending more time with the Internet: In 2021 U.S. moms report spending four hours and 16 minutes daily using the internet -- 23 more minutes per day than in 2020.

• More moms are consuming online audio: 82% of U.S. moms are monthly online audio listeners compared with 76% in 2020, and 76% of U.S. moms are weekly online audio listeners compared with 70% in 2020. Moms report 15 hours weekly of online audio listening.

• More moms are listening to podcasts: 64% of U.S. moms have ever listened to a podcast (up from 57% in 2020) - 40% have listened in the last month and 28% in the last week.

• Moms are on the move as shown by their devices: 89% of U.S. moms own a smartphone and 68% own a tablet. Sixty-one percent of moms own wireless earphones or headphones, which can facilitate phone calls or audio consumption in an environment where others are also working or learning.

• Social media keeps Mom connected: 93% of U.S. moms use some type of social networking site. Twenty-six percent use TikTok (up from just 8% last year) and 27% use Twitter (up from 18% last year), the two platforms with the biggest increases year over year. Facebook is still the platform most social media moms say they use most often (58%), but it is not as dominant as years past, down from 69% last year.

• Half of moms (50%) say social media has helped their children cope during the pandemic. Fifty-eight percent of moms on social media agree that their children have been using social media more often since the pandemic began.

• Moms also acknowledge the downside of social media for their children: 25% of U.S. moms agree that social media has had a negative impact on the emotional well-being of their children, and 44% agree that their children have relied too much on social media to fill their time during the pandemic.

• Half of moms (50%) have listened to an audiobook. For the moms who have listened, they average 7.8 books per year.

Moms and Media 2021 is now available to download and view here.