(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’
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.
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.
I’ve never been part of an elite group before … excellent!