Don't Assume Users Want All Ths Technology

No wonder adoption of VoIP and other new services by U.S. consumers has been so bifurcated: users are bifurcated, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Significant audiences exist for heavy use of the latest Web 2.0 innovations, ranging from social networking, blogs and wikis through user generated video. But there's also a much larger audience that makes relatively limited use of mobile communications, computers and the Internet. Most significantly of all, there is significant sentiment in all usage segments--heavy users, moderate users and lighter users--that all the connectivity is at best a mixed blessing.

About 31 percent of U.S. consumers are heavy users of technology and communications products, though eight percent of users in the "heavy use" group are not thrilled about being so heavily connected. So mark about 23 percent of U.S. technology users as "heavy and happy" users.

About 20 percent of users are "middle of the road," using both mobile phones, the Internet and PCs. But again, only half find all the technology a blessing. Nearly half of all U.S. consumers, though, only occasionally use mobile and Internet technologies. About 26 percent of U.S. consumers are relatively indifferent to information and communications technologies including mobile phones, PCs and the Internet.

In each of the three main "intensity of use" groups (heavy, middle of road and light users), there is significant dissatisfaction with use of technology. Add up all the dissatisfied users, in all usage intensity groups, and fully 44 percent of U.S. consumers really aren't happy with all the connectivity in their lives.

Contrary to "conventional wisdom," most people are not heavy users of most of the newest technology. Some who are heavy users aren't happy users. Nearly half of users don't even use their mobile phones, PCs or the Internet all that much. And fully half of the "middle of the road" users think all the connectivity is something of a problem, not a solution.

Add it all up and about 23 percent of all users are "heavy" communications and information technology users, and think that is a good thing. Everybody else is a moderate, light or non-user. About 44 percent of all users actually refuse to use new technology, or use it and find it creates problems as well as solving them.