senior citizens (Photo : Reuters)
A new Research Center (PRC) Internet study shows that about 15 percent of United States adults do not use the Internet. The percentage of offline Americans has been unchanged during the past two years, suggesting that getting the non-Internet population online could be very challenging.
Pew researchers stated that the number of non-Internet users has also shown minimal change for three years. This fact was despite social service and government programs launched to encourage taking up the Internet.
Still, the PRC notes that the 15 percent figure is significantly lower than in the year 2000 when it started researching technology's effect on society. That year 48 percent of American adults was offline.
Demographics were a big factor in the new Pew study. Among Americans over 65 years old, about 39 percent do not go online. Meanwhile, 25 percent in rural areas do not use the Internet.
Low-income Americans also use the Internet less often. About 25 percent with incomes under $30,000 reported they are unconnected to the Web.
In addition, educational attainment was a factor. One-third of Americans below high school level are not netizens, according to The Star.
The Pew Internet report noted that the "vast majority" of U.S. citizens are online. That is despite some low Internet adoption rates among certain groups.
The country's offline population has been dropping sharply among some demographic groups since 2000. Among adults at least 65 years old it plunged from 86 percent to half that figure.
Non-high school graduates are also connecting. The offline percentage nosedived from 81 percent to 33 percent during that time period.
A 2013 Pew survey provides some insight about why some Americans do not use the World Wide Web, with almost two-thirds arguing that it was uninteresting or complicated. Other reasons included their own old age.
Nonetheless, the Internet has become a norm in everyday life. Other studies have revealed that many Americans would rather surrender their TV, vehicle, or sex before the Internet, according to CNET.
