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The number of people in the United States who use the Internet increased steadily from 2000 until 2012, when the percentage of offline adults fell to 15 percent. Since then, despite efforts by the government and social service organizations to encourage Americans to get online, that number hasn't budged, according to Pew.
Why are some Americans so reluctant to sign on? A third of those surveyed who aren't online (34 percent) said they don't think the Internet is relevant to their lives, or that they're simply not interested in what the Web has to offer. Another 32 percent of people who don't use the Internet said the technology required to access the Internet is just too tough to get the hang of, and 8 percent said they were "too old to learn."
But some people said they don't use the Internet because they cannot afford to do so, according to Pew. The survey data showed that 19 percent of those not online cited the expense of Internet service or owning a computer as their reason for staying offline.
Facebook and Google have been in the news recently because they want to get everyone online. What if those people don't want to?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @02:38AM
Been a web developer since the early days (mid-1990s). This past couple of years I've been finding myself less inclined to use the internet or even the computer (unconnected).
While it has utterly changed business, education & culture, there really isn't much value in the internet (read: 'web') for most people. I could see myself completely free of the need to even have an internet connection (I don't even stream TV or own a mobile, how's that for 'hipster'), except for email. If it weren't for my job I wouldn't need the internet at all, and in fact have come to loathe the web for the most part. The rest of it, I can take it or leave it. Vast wasteland, indeed.
Remember life before the web? Got a lot of good reading in (my house is full of bookcases of books - that yes I have read). Listened to alot of good jazz (sadly my collection of over 500 CDs got stolen about a decade ago, still haven't replaced my turntable or tape deck - mostly listen to FLAC now (that's computer, but not internet)). Play table games of all sorts. Go out to see live music & eat at good restaurants. Watch movies or DVDs. I am a (very) amateur musician, and I like to draw & paint. Hiking & biking in the summer (fuck the gym).
Seriously, the number should be reversed - there are probably only about 15% of the population that really benefits from the web. Nothing wrong with those people who know they don't need it - in fact I hope they stick to their guns.
Me? One of these days I will cut the cord forever, likely sooner than later.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:24AM
I do consult howto's online all the time. I'm also constantly looking stuff up on Wikipedia and sourcing components for my projects. The internet has a lot of value for me. I remember that kind of stuff used to be hard to find--you had to somehow hear about an enthusiasts' club if you even had anything in your town, or you had to get lucky digging through the stacks at the library. And none of it was searchable. I like that the world is searchable now.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday August 04 2015, @11:04PM
There's a lot of value on the Internet, you just have to know how to use it properly. No, I'm not being facetious, that's true for a lot of technology (you can't do much with a book if you don't know how to read, etc.).
At the very least, it provides access to a veritable mountain of good information, much faster than flipping through reference books at the library, and near-instant communication with anyone else on the Internet.
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