The given bar chart illustrates the proportions of Australians using various electronic devices in 2008.
Overall, smartphones were by far the most popular device among the youngest age group (12-24), whereas e-readers were predominantly used by the oldest group aged 76 and over. In addition, tablets and laptops showed similar levels of usage among middle-aged and older adults.
Smartphone usage declined gradually, whereas the reverse was true for e-readers, experiencing a steady increase as people got older. The use of mobile devices was staggeringly higher among younger Australians, with about 65% of those aged 12-24, a significant contrast to 0% among the oldest people. The figure for those from the 51-75 bracket stood at nearly 8%, closely followed by nearly 30% among the people aged 25-50. In contrast, e-readers were the most used device amid people in the 76 and over set, accounting for roughly 62% compared to the youngest group (about 10%). The middle-aged group (25-50) accounted for approximately 5% of e-reader users, and the figure was 30% in the category of older adults (51-75).
Meanwhile, tablets and laptops were more common in the age groups 25-50 and 51-75, recording almost the same figures, 40% and 42% respectively. The proportion of tablet usage in the older group represented roughly 22%, slightly lower than those in the 12-24 age set, at 30%, while the lowest one was experienced by the oldest individuals, accounting for nearly 6%. In addition, laptops were the least used gadget among young individuals aged from 12 to 24, at about 8%, compared to middle-aged groups (approximately 15%). By contrast, the proportion of laptop usage from the oldest people accounted for nearly 30%.