Are You an Omnivore or a Mobile Centric?

(Pew Internet) A new study released this week by the Pew Internet and American Life Project called “A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users”, showed that fully 85% of American adults use the internet or cell phones – and most use both. Yet the proportion of adults who exploit the connectivity, the capacity for self expression, and the interactivity of modern information technology is still only a modest 8%.

The report categorizes Americans based on the amount of information and communication technologies (ICT) they possess, how they use them, and their attitudes about the role of ICTs are in their lives. Ten separate groups emerged in the report, which classified about 31 percent of Web 2.0 participants as Elite Tech Users, meaning they often use these kinds of functions. Another 20 percent were classified as Middle-of-the- Road Tech Users, and a full 49 percent fall into a category called Few Tech Assets. Here is a description from Pew of the 10 ICT types — Where are you? Where is your church staff? Where is your congregation?

The ‘Elites’

Omnivores (8%): They have the most information gadgets and services, which they use voraciously to participate in cyberspace, express themselves online, and do a range of Web 2.0 activities. Most in this group are men in their mid- to late twenties. This would be folks in ministry like Jason Powell or Tony Dye or Brian Glass, all tech gadgetmeisters!

Connectors (7%): Between featured-packed cell phones and frequent online use, they connect to people and manage digital content using ICTs – with high levels of satisfaction about how ICTs let them work with community groups and pursue hobbies.

Lackluster Veterans (8%): They are frequent users of the internet and less avid about cell phones. They are not thrilled with ICT-enabled connectivity and don’t see them as tools for additional productivity. They were among the internet’s early adopters.

Productivity Enhancers (8%): They have strongly positive views about how technology lets them keep up with others, do their jobs, and learn new things. They are frequent and happy ICT users whose main focus is personal and professional communication.

Middle-of-the-road users – The middle-of-the-road users consist of two groups whose outlook toward information technology is task-oriented. They use ICTs for communication more than they use it for self-expression. One group finds this pattern of information echnology use satisfying and beneficial, while the other finds it burdensome.

Mobile Centrics (10%): They fully embrace the functionality of their cell phones. They use the internet, but not often, and like how ICTs connect them to others. 37% have high-speed internet connections at home. The group contains a large share of African Americans.

Connected But Hassled (10%): They have invested in a lot of technology (80% have broadband at home), but they find the connectivity intrusive and information something of a burden

Few Tech Assets - For those with few technology assets (four groups), modern gadgetry is at or near he periphery of their daily lives. Some find it useful, others don’t, and others simply tick to the plain old telephone and television.

Inexperienced Experimenters (8%): They occasionally take advantage of interactivity, but if they had more experience and connectivity, they might do more with ICTs. They are late adopters of the internet. Few have high-speed connections at home.

Light But Satisfied (15%): They have some technology, but it does not play a central role in their daily lives. They are satisfied with what ICTs do for them. They like how information technology makes them more available to others and helps them learn new things.

Indifferents (11%): Despite having either cell phones or online access, these users use ICTs only intermittently and find connectivity annoying. Few would miss a beat if they had to give these things up.

Off the Network (15%): Those with neither cell phones nor internet connectivity tend to be older adults. A few of them have computers or digital cameras, but they are content with old media.