Are Gen Xers Using Smart Speakers?

The Smart Speaker Series | Infographic

What Does Growth Look Like?

Younger Gen Xers and older millennials behave similarly when it comes to smart speakers. Like millennials, Gen Xers are also early adopters of the technology, though at a slightly lower level.

This year, we expect 16.5 million Gen Xers in the US will use a smart speaker. That's roughly a quarter of the Gen X population and a 30.8% increase from 2017.

"While Gen Xers are less likely than millennials to use voice assistant technology on any device, those who are voice tech users are more likely than millennials to use the technology on a smart speaker," said eMarketer forecasting analyst Jaimie Chung. "Millennials are more willing to use voice technology on the go and out in public, while Gen Xers are still confining their voice assistant usage to their homes via their smart speakers."

This week, we're looking at the smart speaker audience. Each day, we'll delve into a different demographic and see what usage looks like across various age groups. Previously, we looked at kids and teens, as well as millennials. Next up: Gen Xers.

What's Driving Growth?

In the Hey Alexa, Who's Using Smart Speakers? report published earlier this year, eMarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg wrote, "Smart speakers have found a home (pun intended) among younger Gen X women. These users are generally parents of young children, and smart speakers, with their integrated voice assistants, help them complete their daily tasks, much as a true personal assistant would."

Indeed, a lot of Gen Xers are parents and they are increasingly using these devices to reclaim family time and engage with their kids in a variety of different tasks. Many are also homeowners, so it makes sense that they would use the speakers at home.

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