Survey Says One in Six Adults Doesn’t Use Internet

Roughly one (at least) out of six adult Americans are not likely to ever read this article.

That’s because 15% of adult Americans do not use the internet or email, according to the results of a survey released today by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

Of those who are not online, 34% said they believe the internet is just not relevant to them. The top reason cited for that was that they are not interested (21%) followed by the lack of a computer (13%).

Also, 32% of non-internet users said they found it difficult to use the internet, with some saying they are worried about other issues such as spam, spyware and hackers. Researchers said this figure was considerably higher than in previous surveys.

Another 19% cited the expense of owning a computer or paying for an internet connection as the reason for not being online.

But that doesn’t mean that the internet isn’t a factor in their lives.

Of those who don’t personally use the internet, 44% said they have asked a friend or family member to look something up or complete a task on the internet for them, the survey said.

Also, 23% of offline adults live in a household where someone else uses the internet.

A vast majority – 92% — of those who are not internet users said they don’t intend to go online.

When offline adults were asked whether they would need assistance using the internet, only 17% said they could do so on their own, and 63% said they would require help.

Of the 85% of adult Americans who do use the internet, 9% said they don’t have access at home and must go to a library or elsewhere to get online. Of those 9%, nearly half cited financial issues such as not having a computer or having a cheaper option outside the home.

Those more likely to have to go elsewhere for internet use include blacks and Hispanics, as well as adults with lower levels of income and education, the survey said.

The researchers also found that some form of broadband connections is becoming vastly more prominent, as only 3% of those surveyed said they still use dial-up connections.

The survey was the result of telephone interviews conducted with 2,252 adults ages 18 and older between April 17 and May 19.