The 15% of Americans that are not online

Interesting data about who’s online, and who’s not, and how income plays a role in that.  85% of Americans are online.  The biggest reasons that the last 15% don’t participate is because of a sense of irrelevance of the Internet and because of perceived complexity, i.e., poor usability.

The link below is about the interaction between Internet access and age. These results speak to the promise of and limitations of MOOCs, as was also seen in some of the San Jose State reports.  Low-income users often access the Internet via the library or cellphone, which changes the expectation for using MOOCs.

Aaron Smith, Senior Researcher at the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project, discusses the Project’s latest research about internet usage, broadband adoption, and the impact of mobile connectivity among lower-income populations.

via Technology Adoption by Lower Income Populations | Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.