Tablet use growing among smartphone owners

Nearly one in four smartphone owners also use tablet computers, as tablet ownership has more than doubled among this group in the past year, according to a June 2012 comScore report.

The research firm reports that tablet use among smartphone owners jumped from 9.7 percent last year to 23.6 percent this year. ComScore also asserts that tablet ownership in the United States has reached "critical mass."

The report details some of the characteristics of the average tablet owner. According to comScore, tablet users tend to be older and live in households that earn $75,000 or more a year. Interestingly, smartphone owners share a similar profile, indicating there is a great deal of overlap between the two groups.

The study also focuses on how tablets are changing "the way people engage with the digital world," specifically noting that one in four tablet owners watch video on their devices. This is a trend that has been evolving rapidly since tablets first hit the market. Experts predict tablets will disrupt a number of our digital habits, from shopping and social media to reading and playing video games.