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Almost 50% of Americans shun high tech
Cpilot:
The Technologies gap
A Fox News article points to a research study done by the Pew Internet and American Life Project that found that nearly 50 Percent of Americans have little use for Internet and cell Phones.
In a nutshell the findings are:
8% are avid and voracious users of all things high tech
23% of users embrace technologies for social networking and employment
10% rely on mobile devices
10% use tech devices but find them a bother
49% use tech devices occasionally or are hostile towards high tech
The groups are broken down into 10 different groups of users with one group (8%) being referred to as the "Lackluster Veterans".
--- End quote ---
Eóin:
I fail to see how using tech devices occasionally and being hostile to them can be lumped together. By their logic they could just as easily have said-
57% are avid, voracious or occasional users of all things high tech or are hostile towards high tech
23% of users embrace technologies for social networking and employment
10% rely on mobile devices
10% use tech devices but find them a bother
--- End quote ---
;)
Eóin:
Update- A quick scan of the original report indicates it is being misrepresented, first the figures are relating to connectivity (the internet and mobiles) not high tech in general. The actual results which were combined into the 49% figure are as follows-
8% Inexperienced Experimenters
They occasionally take advantage of interactivity, but if they had more experience, they might do more with ICTs.
15% Light But Satisfied
They have some technology, but it does not play a central role in their daily lives. They are satisfied with what ICTs do for them.
11% Indifferents
Despite having either cell phones or online access, these users use ICTs only intermittently and find connectivity annoying.
15% Off the Network
Those with neither cell phones nor internet connectivity tend to be older adults who are content with old media.
--- End quote ---
Which paints a very different picture I think.
P.S. Cpilot, I know you didn't misquote the original halfbytes blog so my disagreements with it here are not aimed at you at all :)
Cpilot:
I fail to see how using tech devices occasionally and being hostile to them can be lumped together. By their logic they could just as easily have said-
57% are avid, voracious or occasional users of all things high tech or are hostile towards high tech
23% of users embrace technologies for social networking and employment
10% rely on mobile devices
10% use tech devices but find them a bother
--- End quote ---
;)
-Eóin (May 07, 2007, 10:54 AM)
--- End quote ---
If you read through the entire study (the link to the pdf is at the bottom of the blog post) it'll give you an idea of their methods and how they arrived at their conclusions.
They go into much more detail about each category of users and how they arrived at the method for classification.
Like any survey/poll type of study take from what you will, but I think it does point out a definite divide between certain committed technology types and casual users.
Cpilot:
Update- A quick scan of the original report indicates it is being misrepresented, first the figures are relating to connectivity (the internet and mobiles) not high tech in general. The actual results which were combined into the 49% figure are as follows-
8% Inexperienced Experimenters
They occasionally take advantage of interactivity, but if they had more experience, they might do more with ICTs.
15% Light But Satisfied
They have some technology, but it does not play a central role in their daily lives. They are satisfied with what ICTs do for them.
11% Indifferents
Despite having either cell phones or online access, these users use ICTs only intermittently and find connectivity annoying.
15% Off the Network
Those with neither cell phones nor internet connectivity tend to be older adults who are content with old media.
--- End quote ---
Which paints a very different picture I think.
P.S. Cpilot, I know you didn't misquote the original halfbytes blog so my disagreements with it here are not aimed at you at all :)
-Eóin (May 07, 2007, 11:13 AM)
--- End quote ---
The 49% figure came from the preface/title page of the original report. The numbers you quoted are from further into the report where the analysis takes place and methods and classifications are explained.
I think the results are worthy of discussion, different people can interpret the data in whichever way they see it.
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