Americans turn to technology during COVID-19 outbreak, say an outage would be a problem

As the spread of COVID-19 upends work, classes and even doctor appointments across the country, a majority of Americans are turning to digital means to stay connected and track information about the outbreak. Amid this increased reliance, about nine-in-ten US adults (93%) say that a major interruption to their internet or cellphone service during the outbreak would be a problem in their daily life, including 49% who foresee an outage being a very big problem for them and 28% who believe it would be a moderately big problem. There are also differences by race and ethnicity, as well as by gender. Black and Hispanic adults are more likely than white adults to view an interruption to their internet or cellphone service as a very big problem. And women are more likely than men to believe this would cause a significant issue in their daily life. But while digital connections may provide an alternative during a time of social distancing, only a minority (27%) thinks interacting via these technologies will be as effective as in-person contact. Some 64% of Americans think the internet and phones will help but are not a replacement for face-to-face encounters.