You're probably using the Internet right now. In fact, you probably use the Internet every single day. It's almost hard to imagine life without it, right?
Well, it's not that way for everyone. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 15% of Americans age 18 or older do not use the Internet, and another 9% said they don't use it in their homes, according to a report released this week.
See also: The Pros of Disconnecting From Your Tech
More than a third of the 15% who don't use the Internet cited relevance as the reason, saying they're not interested, they're too busy or they think it's a waste of time.
Another third of nonusers cited usability concerns, such as finding it frustrating or difficult to access the Internet or being physically unable to do so. The remaining third were split between reasons such as cost and availability.
The chart below shows how the reasons Americans are staying offline have shifted over the past five years. Somewhat paradoxically, usability concerns have increased, meaning there is a perception among some that the Internet is becoming harder to use.
Age remains the most consistent dividing line when it comes to Internet use. More than 40% of respondents above the age of 65 do not use the Internet, while just 2% in the 18-29 age range don't use it. Education and income both positively correlate with Internet use — people with more income and education are more likely to be Internet users.
Among those who do not use the Internet, the overwhelming majority (92%) said they don't feel a strong desire to begin using it, or resume doing so, in the case of the 14% who said they had used it in the past.
That doesn't mean these people don't understand its potential. Almost half (44%) of nonusers said they have asked a friend or family member to use the Internet to look something up or complete a task on their behalf.
As a reminder of how rapidly the Internet has become integrated into most people's lives, note that less than two decades ago, these percentages were reversed — 85% of people did not use the Internet. The chart below shows the rate of adoption among American adults since 1995.
To gather this data, Pew surveyed 2,252 people from April 17 to May 19. Click here for more on the research methods.
Does it surprise you that 15% of Americans are offline? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below.
Image: Flickr, Stan Wiechers