The Pew Internet & American Life Project has a new report that describes some current statistics on use of iPods and other portable MP3 players. Some results:

• 22 million American adults own iPods or MP3 players
• 6 million American adults have listened to podcasts
• 19% of those aged 18-28 have iPods/MP3 players
• More men than women have them
• More minorities than whites have them
• Bandwidth matters. The more bandwidth you’ve got, the more likely you are to own an iPod/MP3 player

They didn’t survey adolescents, but my “walk around school” survey finds a lot of white earbuds in the ears of our students. How long before teachers start giving listening assignments to go along with reading assignments?

Update:NewsFactor Network has got a story in which Pew research director Mary Madden backtracks a bit on their recent conclusion that 6 million American have listened to podcasts:

Pew research director Mary Madden believes the numbers of people actually using the Internet to broadcast and/or download pods is smaller than the 6 million figure cited in the organization’s latest study, however.

“Our question to the survey respondents on this was very broad. We asked if they had ever downloaded a podcast or radio Internet program,” she says. In other words, the survey also netted affirmatives from people who may have listened to an NPR program on the radio, for example, and then gone to the NPR site to download it.

Last update: The Pew folks have addressed reports of exaggerated podcasting statistics here. They’re standing by their numbers and explaining their rationale.