Almost a fifth of American adults – 19% – have tried video calling either online or via their cell phones. These figures translate into 23% of internet users and 7% of cell phone owners who have participated in video calls, chats, or teleconferences.
Video calling has become increasingly available as camcorders have spread through the online environment, cameras have been built into smart phones, and as video-chat services like Skype, Google Talk, and Apple iChat have become a feature of the online and smart phone environment. Teleconferencing is also becoming more embedded in the business environment.
This summer, in a nationally-representative telephone survey using landlines and cell phones, the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Project asked for the first time about the prevalence of video calling both online and on cell phones.
Read the full report, Video Calling and Video Chat on the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project Web site.