As healthcare, among other industries, continuously strives to innovate, organizations turn to Uber as a model for disruption. But Uber isn't as widespread or widely adopted as some people think: A new national survey from Pew Research Center found just 15 percent of American adults use ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft, and nearly 30 percent have never heard of these apps. If a significant portion of the population hasn't heard of key on-demand apps and services, how prevalent really is the on-demand, digital economy? The survey gathered responses from nearly 4,800 American adults regarding the sharing and on-demand service economies, which include purchasing used goods online, same-day delivery, online fundraising, ride-hailing apps, ordering groceries online and having them delivered and working in shared office spaces, among others.
Overall, 72 percent of Americans reported using at least one shared or on-demand service, but significant knowledge gaps remain in this arena. Sixty-one percent of Americans have never heard the term "crowdfunding," and 73 percent do not know what the "sharing economy" is, according to the survey.
And, the percentage of Americans who utilize ride-sharing apps is minimal, especially compared to how much attention such services receive. While 15 percent of adults report using ride-hailing apps, these individuals are mostly younger (between ages 18 and 29), live in urban areas and have relatively high income and education levels, according to the survey. In contrast, rural residents have low adoption levels.
Of respondents who have heard of ride-hailing apps but have never tried them, 19 percent said the services aren't available where they live.
"The thing that probably interests me the most about this is how consumers are struggling in many ways to conceptualize the nature of these new platforms," Aaron Smith, associate director of research at Pew Research Center, said in a Mercury News report, regarding the findings.
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