One of our favorite uses of SimplyMap is to find data that validates our general assumptions and observations. For example, in a previous blog we wrote about the growth of tablet ownership in the US and how the iPad dominates that area. It’s one thing to “know” that tablet ownership has grown, but it’s another thing to view the supporting data behind it.

This week, let’s explore another variable we presume has markedly increased in recent years  - the % of Households who used the internet to make a phone call. Let’s get started!

Open up a Standard Report via the New Tabular Report button at the top of SimplyMap:

Navigate through this path: MRI Consumer Survey » Internet » Internet Access and Activities to find the variable, % Households Using - Internet Activities: Made a phone call, 2015.

Hover over the Action menu on the variable and select the available years from the Select Variable Year option, shown above.
Close out the Variables panel to generate your report. Results below!

It looks like using the internet to make a phone call has exploded in recent years, from 2.7% in 2008 to 22% in 2015. Why do you think this is? Aside from the availability of the internet in general, it could be due to the rise in tablets, FaceTime and Skype.

Stay tuned for more in this series, and let us know if there’s anything within SimplyMap you’d like to see written about!