A recent study from Parks Associates indicates that 30% of Americans do not have Internet access and… don’t want one.
We could draw the easy conclusion that one third of all Americans are even much more antiquated than their worst popular image. Various anti-americanisms would be only marginally reinforced from that. But I feel it would be surprising if this America-based ratio was very different from another population. Europeans could well be in a similar situation.
After all, if we are so many to be unable to live without a live Internet connection around us, wouldn’t it become trendy (next year of next decenny?) to tell that you do not have Internet and do not want it. Who knows?
Reality may be even simpler. Where you -my readers- and me are significantly immersed into the Internet, the web, the blogosphere and other connected worlds, some others for not really care about them. They did not taste it. Moreover, they may well have ways of life that do not require Internet (and there, I’m not describing cave men).
It puts an interesting light onto the expression of digital divide. It is important to remember that some do not have access to this powerful tool they are willing to use, but there are also people who do not want to jump over the line between the old economy and the new economy. We must keep in mind that they are not necessarily outdated and outsmarted. They just live slightly differently (or WE live slightly differently).
The only thing that I think will be a pity: The un-connected people will certainly not participate to this discussion (answers and comments below). By nature, they cannot. But others can give an opinion may be less authorized, but compensating by more documentation. What do you think?
Sources: Broadband Reports, Park Associates.
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