A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has just released a new report: “A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users” where they provide a profile of users of ICTs according to their technology assets, their actions, and their attitudes about ICTs. The report identifies three main typologies of users: ‘Elite Tech Users’ (31% of American adults), ‘Middle-of-the-road tech users’ (20%) and ‘Few Tech Assets’ users (49%), which are further divided into sub-typologies.

Half of the population is still made up by those with ‘Few Tech Assets’: the ‘Inexperienced Experimenters’ (8%), the ‘Light but Satisfied’ (15%), the ‘Indifferents’ (11%) and finally the ‘Off The Networks’ (15%). Interestingly, these have had some taste of new technologies (with the exception of the Off the Networks) but they’d rather continue doing without them. The “Omnivores”, the real Web 2.0 enthusiasts and users, make up only 8% of the American adult population.