The Digital Holdouts

It might seem like everybody’s online. Not so. According to a study released yesterday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, there’s still about 20 percent of American adults don’t use the Internet. Ever. Unsurprisingly, those skipping the Web are among the lower income rungs. The study cites adults with less than a high school education, households with less than $30,000 per year income, senior citizens and those who took the survey in Spanish rather than English as the key groups who don’t use the Internet. The study also says that these groups believe the Internet is not relevant to their lives, but also that they have limited understanding about technology.

The good news is these same audiences are more likely to use smartphones. According to the study, young adults, minorities, those with no college experience and those from lower income homes are more likely than others to use their smartphone as their direct connection to the Internet, brands are sure to make note.