Method
Data and variables
The three dimensions are constructed using data from the American Community Survey (ACS) and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS).
The ACS provides information on the share of workers who work remotely and the share of households with internet access, high-speed broadband, and a cellular data plan. The ATUS provides information on digital leisure, including the average time spent on digital leisure activities and the share of individuals who engage in these activities. Figure 4 shows how these underlying measures vary across states and over time.
Index construction
To place the three dimensions on a comparable scale, I first standardize each component. The standardized Digital Work, Digital Leisure, and Digital Accessibility scores are then combined using equal weights. Equal weighting reflects the objective of the index: to capture distinct dimensions of digital life without assigning greater importance to any one dimension.
The resulting index is rescaled to range from 0 to 1, where higher values indicate greater overall digital-life intensity. Figures 1–3 present the Digital Life Index and its component scores across states and over time.
How to interpret the scores
The Digital Life Index is a score ranging from 0 to 1. Higher scores indicate greater digital-life intensity, based on the combined levels of digital work, digital leisure, and digital accessibility.
For example, if State A has a Digital Life Index score of 0.75 and State B has a score of 0.40, State A has a higher level of digital-life intensity than State B. A score of 0.75 does not mean that 75% of the population is digitally engaged.
Coverage
The data cover 2016–2019 and 2021–2023 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 2020 is omitted because the American Time Use Survey did not provide a comparable full-year estimate for that year.
For detailed variable definitions, normalization procedures, data construction, and source documentation, see the Digital Life Index methods and documentation.