Who is online, who is wired, who is connected?

 

Reports issued by the Pew Internet and American Life Project  in 2009 indicate huge changes since their availability in 2000.  In Asian-Americans and the Internet:  The young and the connected, 75% of English speaking Asian Americans were internet users, and not only were they online but this demographic group was identified as the nation's heaviest user group on a day to day basis. What makes this report so notable is that it was issued in 2001, when only 58% of white adults, 43% of African Americans and 50% of English speaking Hispanics were online.

 

By 2009 these numbers, also reported by Pew, have changed upwards, with traditional Internet usage trending upwards for African Americans at 67% and Hispanics at 84%.  Because Asian Americans as a group tend to be early adopters of technology, one can only infer that traditional Internet usage has continued to increase to that of college graduates and those with higher incomes, as a greater proportion of the English speaking segments are in both categories.

 

Wireless Internet Access Changes the Mix

Back in 2001, Internet use was limited to traditional access. In 2009, with wireless internet access being ubiquitous in major urban metropolitan areas, where the majority of Hispanics and Asian Americans live, and the increase in English Speaking Hispanics (who outnumber Spanish only Hispanics) with greater educational levels, the numbers of Hispanics who are wireless internet users was reported (by Pew) to be at 68%. 

 

This number was also high for African Americans, at 60% although the home internet access for this group was much lower than Hispanic internet use, particularly where broadband is used.  White Americans trended at 79% in Internet use, but were the lowest of all groups at 54% as far as being wireless internet users.

 

Wireless Internet Users are not all the same

 

About 50% of mobile users embrace technology so that they can stay in touch with other people, while 46% feel that it is an important tool for accessing information while they are mobile.  It is estimated that 80% of laptop users connect to the internet via a wifi connection.  A large population segment of wireless internet users are college graduates, at 68%.  Of online users, 91% of college graduates use the internet and email. 

 

Age cohorts also are a major factor in the different ways that mobile communications are employed.  Not surprisingly, Gen Y'ers are the largest group of texters, at 92%, who also use the mobile devices to do other activities besides make telephone calls.  This trends high as well for Gen X'ers (76%), and is at 50% for the wide range of 50-64 year olds.