If you’re reading this, you’re probably in a committed relationship with the internet. It’s there with piping-hot notifications when you wake up, it dries your tears with lolable memes, and it tucks you into bed with the soothing sounds of ASMR videos.
We decided to do a little digging to figure out which states were the most obsessed with the web. Find out below if you live in a state that is #obsessed.
Interesting Findings
In addition to the full results listed above, we also found a few fascinating details.
The Ten Most Internet-Obsessed States
- Indiana ranked surprisingly high because of its heavy search volume for “phone addiction,” and about half of Indiana’s residents—just over three million—have Instagram accounts.
- Oregon and Washington also ranked in the top ten due to growing millennial populations—and more millennials are using the web and social media to communicate with each other, likely adding to the increase in internet obsession.
- Texas and Florida have access to high-speed fiber internet, which allows people to access the internet more efficiently, putting these states near the top of the list.
The Ten Least Internet-Obsessed States
- Most of these states are scenic and rural, and constant internet access likely isn’t as common as it is in the top ten states.
- All these states have a designated national park, except for Delaware and Oklahoma—maybe residents would rather be out exploring nature than surfing the web!
- Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Alaska are all among the least populous states per square mile—and with fewer people comes less internet use.
Now, you might be wondering why an internet provider is reporting on “internet addiction.” While we love the internet as much as the next true-crime podcast enthusiast or social media influencer, sometimes it’s nice to take a break and unplug for a while.
If you live in one of the most web-obsessed states, keep posting those selfies—just remember to internet responsibly.
Methodology
Our rankings were determined by five different factors:
- Proprietary data on how likely a household is to be a heavy internet user (40%)
- Percent of driving time spent distracted (20%)
- Growth in online spending per person compared to the median income by state from 2016 to 2017 (20%)
- Internet searches for “phone addiction” and “internet addiction” over the past year (10%)
- Percentage of the state’s population over thirteen with an Instagram account in 2016 (10%)
States with a higher score are more likely to be heavy internet users. While this study can provide interesting insights about different states, it’s not meant in any way to provide clinical or professional insights.
States Ranked by Internet Obsession
(Most to Least Obsessed)
- Oregon
- New Jersey
- Texas
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Pennsylvania
- Washington
- Minnesota
- Florida
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New York
- California
- Illinois
- Mississippi
- Georgia
- Ohio
- Tennessee
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Arizona
- Utah
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Missouri
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Wisconsin
- Louisiana
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
- Colorado
- Maine
- Kansas
- Iowa
- Connecticut
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Vermont
- Oklahoma
- New Mexico
- Delaware
- North Dakota
- Hawaii
- Arkansas
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- South Dakota
- Alaska