Consumers are connected more than ever before

The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.

As an amateur historian, I can say with certainty that technology has never embedded itself into society as rapidly as it has in the last decade. Today’s consumer relationship with technology is complicated and multifaceted—understanding that intersection is at the heart of everything we do as a company, and personally for me as Verizon’s Consumer CEO.

Given our focus on the consumer, we publish an annual view of insights and trends that shed light on these relationships and the evolving role of technology in our lives, and this year’s Consumer Connections Reportdoes just that.

The report reflects our commitment to understanding and supporting the ways technology shapes our relationships, empowers our families, and enriches our daily experiences. It explores the interplay between digital and physical shopping experiences, and the growing reliance on home connectivity, as people use more and more smart home devices. And for the second year in a row, we look at how NFL fans showed up for their favorite teams, alongside the events and moments from the past year that connected us most as a society. What we learned:

Limits reign: Parents and caregivers are using tech to monitor tech

Parents are motivated to keep on top of their children’s use of technology. Our report reveals that they’re focused on social media apps like Tumblr, Whisper, and Snapchat the most. They’re also utilizing transitional options, like the Gizmo watch, which averages 3.3 million calls connecting parents and other caregivers with children each month. They can set content controls, block unwanted contacts, view text and call history, set usage limits, and more. That helps kids find their balance—learning to make smart, safe connectivity choices.

Connectivity is where the heart is

Home data use is on the rise. The average monthly data usage in 2024 across all Verizon Home Internet households was 656 GB, a 6% increase from 2023. People enjoy video and music streaming, gaming, videoconferencing, and smart home technologies that bring convenience, energy savings, and security. We know that to be true given that 18 is the average number of devices per Verizon Internet household.

Customer experience is on demand

Brick-and-mortar retail is returning to growth after pandemic-era slowdowns, indicating that in-store shopping provides a social and sensory experience that appeals to many consumers. We’re seeing the emergence of the “phygital economy,” which combines online and in-person in a single experience. Sixty-two percent of our customers’ purchases were made in a Verizon retail store. Most Verizon customers who use our in-store pickup service initiate their order online, and a growing number place the order over the phone.

Go live from the game—it’s on 5G

My company provides the 5G infrastructure for the NFL, which gives us insights into how fans are using their phones at games.

Fans are increasingly creating and sharing their own game experience. They’re interacting with fellow fans via text, social media, and voice calls. They’re analyzing fantasy football matchups and checking scores. And they’re embracing AR and VR for on-site entertainment.

In fact, average mobility (wireless) usage per game was 3.6 TB this season, a 37% increase over last season. The game with the most mobility usage? Giants at Cowboys. Video accounted for 25% of consumer data usage at NFL stadiums. That’s a lot of footage of the action.

Other ways consumers use connectivity

During the holidays, Americans are generating an enormous volume of calls, texts, and data to reach out. We studied data use at the airports over the winter holiday season, and found it rose to 17.7 million GB, and 28% of that was video. At the same time, many of us are also focusing more on connecting in person—and on balancing our access to the world around us with our attention to those in front of us. Indeed, on New Year’s Eve, the number of phone calls skyrocketed—it was the top holiday for phone calls—while on Christmas and Hanukkah, the number was muted.

And that’s the point. Mobile devices connect us all to a world of opportunity, but don’t replace the world. Recognizing that truth is one of the keys to a healthier life.

Sowmyanarayan Sampath is the CEO of Verizon Consumer.