They Don’t Even Use Email: Who Are the Internet Abstinent?

Typewriter with colorful keys

Typewriter with colorful keys15% of American adults don’t use the internet at all, according to a Pew Research survey. Seriously: they don’t have email. Who are these internet abstinent, and why aren’t they online?

30% of non-users say the internet just isn’t relevant to their lives, or that they have no use for it. Another 32% find the internet too hard to use. Some have been frustrated by their previous attempts to use the internet, or they’re concerned with online security issues. Another 19% can’t afford a computer or internet connection, and 7% lack physical access to internet. Overall, two-thirds of the world is not connected.

And yes, you guessed it: just under half of the internet abstinent are 65 or older.

Would you be able to live without internet? Share with us in the comments section!

Image via brett jordan

Leora Rosenberg

By Leora Rosenberg

Leora writes about the environment, science, and the intersection between technology and art. She attends New York University and has previously written for the Wildlife Conservation Society's website, The Huffington Post's Compylr blog, and NYU's Washington Square News. Her mom uses Twitter incorrectly.

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