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7% of Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they?

pewresearch.org

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Re: 7% of Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they?

#3
My dad doesn't use the Internet. Not on principle or anything, but he grew up without it, has friends but meets them in person or talks on the phone, same as he has for the past 40 years. He's retired now, but never needed it working as a skilled tradesman with a county job. In retirement, he still builds stuff, but physical stuff. No need for Internet.

My ex-wife's mom also didn't use the Internet, but she was a schizophrenic who believed the FBI was following her around her entire life and has spent much of the past 40 years institutionalized.

So those are at least two very different types of people, and that's just people living in big cities. I'm sure there are still a fair number of rural people who couldn't make much use of the Internet even if they wanted to.

Another ex of mine grew up on a farm in Amish country. Not Amish, but all the neighbors were. They didn't use Internet.

Re: 7% of Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they?

#6

I've been using the Internet since 1992-3. Lately I'm feeling more and more like these 7% have the right idea.

I often think of what life would be without using the internet. Observing a electronics sabbath usually on sat, seems like a good idea. Not Jewish but feel that the Rabbis of old were on to something.

Re: 7% of Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they?

#8
post #4

Let’s suppose they call a customer service desk that uses Internet tools to help them—or they’ve paid for a transaction on Square. Have they technically indirectly been a beneficiary of the Internet? Does that count as using it?

I don’t think that counts. It’s like calling someone a driver when they’ve only been a passenger.

Re: 7% of Americans don’t use the internet. Who are they?

#10
post #4

Let’s suppose they call a customer service desk that uses Internet tools to help them—or they’ve paid for a transaction on Square. Have they technically indirectly been a beneficiary of the Internet? Does that count as using it?

I don’t think that counts. It’s like calling someone a driver when they’ve only been a passenger.

Yeah, but they have been using a car. Not as driver, but as a way to get from A to B
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