Older Americans Spend Longer On Their Mobiles Than Younger Ones (2026)
graph by Tom Jones/Chartr; slow reveal by Jenna Laib
Type of Graph: line graph
Purpose
This slow reveal is designed to support analysis and discussion of both the data and the design choices. The questions in the slidedeck invite learners to examine trends, relationships, and possible interpretations. This graph invites students to notice patterns, estimate values, examine relationships, consider how the data was collected, and discuss implications for this data.
About This Graph
This visualization is not provided for reuse or redistribution. Readers and educators are encouraged to view the original visualization in its published context.
Original Visualization:
Jones, Tom. “Older Americans are spending more time on their phones than younger cohorts, per new data.” Sherwood News: February 13, 2026
Data Sources:
Blacker, Adam. “Americans now spend 6.3 hours per day on their phones, up an hour from January 2023.” Apptopia: February 11, 2026.
Related Text:
Kay, Jonathan. “Apptopia’s Data Algorithms Explained.” Medium: March 17, 2020.
In The Classroom
There are many different mathematical connections that can be made to this data and data visualization.
Potential Math Content: line graph, estimating values, scale break, broken axis, scale, data collection methodology, sample size
Potential Content Connections: technology, age, generational gap
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