Lee Rainie, Director of Internet Science and Technology research, details the digital divide among Americans' internet usage to the the U.S. Census Bureau's National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations.

1. Digital Divides 2015
Lee Rainie
Director Internet, Science and Technology Research
9.22.15
Advisory Board to US Census Bureau – Hard to Count Populations

2. Non-partisan, independent, non-advocacy, no policy
positions

3. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 3
Household income

4. September 21, 2015 4www.pewresearch.org
Internet users by household income (Pew Research 2015)
87
78
87 94 97 98 97
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults <$30K $30K-$50K $50K-75K $75K-$100K $100K-$150K >$150K

5. September 21, 2015 5www.pewresearch.org
Internet users over time by household income (Pew
Research)
34
36
39
41
44
48
52
58
54
60 61
64
71 72
74 74
58
60
64
66
68
71
75 74
78 79 80
85
87 86
86 89
72
75 76
81
83
85 86 86
88
92
88
90
93 93 93
96
81
84 85
87 88
91 92 93
95 95 95
97 97 97 96 97
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Less than $30K $30K-$49,999 $50K-$74,999 $75K+
%

6. September 21, 2015 6www.pewresearch.org
Mobile connectors by household income (Pew Research 2015)
92
87 90
96 96 98 100
68
52
69
76
81
89
94
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults <$30K $30K-$50K $50K-75K $75K-$100K $100K-$150K >$150K
All cell owners Smartphone owners

7. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 7
Internet user households by household income (Census Bureau 2013)
79
48.5
69
84.9
92.7 94.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults <$25K $25K-$50K $50K-$100K $100K-$150K $150K+

8. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 8
Educational attainment

9. September 21, 2015 9www.pewresearch.org
Internet users by education (Pew Research 2015)
87
68
77
93 97
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults < High school HS diploma Some college College degree+

10. September 21, 2015 10www.pewresearch.org
Internet users over time by education (Pew Research)
78
81
83
85 86
88
91 92 93 94 93 94
96 96 96 95
67 68
73
75 76
79
83
85 86 87 87
89
91 92 91 90
40
43
48
51
53
57
61
65 65
68 67
72
75 76 76
79
19
21
24 25
27
30
37
40
38
40 41
50
55
60
55
68
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
College+ Some college HS grad Less than HS
%

11. September 21, 2015 11www.pewresearch.org
Mobile connectors by education (Pew Research 2015)
92
86 89
94 95
68
41
56
75
81
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults < High school HS diploma Some college College degree+
All cell owners Smartphone owners

12. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 12
Internet user households by educational attainment (Census Bureau
2013)
79
53.7
69.7
82.4
90.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults < High school HS diploma Some college College degree+

13. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 13
Race and ethnicity

14. September 21, 2015 14www.pewresearch.org
Internet users by race/ethnicity (Pew Research 2015)
87 87 84 84
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults White Black Hispanic

15. September 21, 2015 15www.pewresearch.org
Internet users by race/ethnicity over time (Pew Research)
53
57
60
63
65
68
72
75 75
79 78
81
84 85 85
87
38
40
47
50 49
53
59
64 63
69 68
73
77
79 79 79
72 73 73 74
77 77
85 84
89 90
88
91
95 95
97
46
50
58 58
61
67
73
76
74
68 70
73
79
81 81 81
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Hispanic
%

16. September 21, 2015 16www.pewresearch.org
Mobile connectors by race/ethnicity (Pew Research 2015)
92 91 92 93
68 66 68 64
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults White Black Hispanic
All cell owners Smartphone owners

17. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 17
Internet user households by race/ethnicity (Census Bureau 2013)
74.4 77.4
86.6
66.7 61.3 58.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults White Asian Hispanic Black Native Amer

18. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 18
Age

19. September 21, 2015 19www.pewresearch.org
Internet use by age (Pew Research 2015)
87
97 97
80
65
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+

20. September 21, 2015 20www.pewresearch.org
Internet use by age over time (Pew Research)
70
72
76
78 77
82
86
89 89
92 92
94
96 97 97 97
61
65
70
72
75
77
82
85 84 84 84 87
91 92 92 92
46
50
54
56
61
65
70 71 72
75 74
77
79
81 81
83
14 14
18
22
24
27
32
35
38
40
43
46
54
56 57
60
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
18-29 30-49 50-64 65 or older
%

21. September 21, 2015 21www.pewresearch.org
Mobile connectors by age (Pew Research 2015)
92
98 96 93
76
68
86 83
58
30
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
All cell owners Smartphone owners

22. September 21, 2015 22www.pewresearch.org
79 81.2 81.2 83.3 80.6
64.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults 0-17 18-34 35-44 45-64 65+
Internet user households by age (Census Bureau 2013)

23. September 21, 2015 Census Bureau 23

24. September 21, 2015 www.pewresearch.org 24
Community type

25. September 21, 2015 25www.pewresearch.org
Internet use by community type (Pew Research 2015)
87 89 89
75
0
20
40
60
80
100
All adults Urban Suburban Rural

26. September 21, 2015 26www.pewresearch.org
Internet use by community type over time (Pew Research)
53
55
61
64 65
68
71
75 75 73
77
80
84
86 85 87
56
59
63
65
67
69
73
77 77 76
79
82
84 85 85
87
42
46
49
51
53
58
62 63 63
68
70
73 76
78 79 79
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Urban Suburban Rural

27. September 21, 2015 27www.pewresearch.org
Mobile connectors by community type (Pew Research
2015)
92 94 94
83
68
76 75
62
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All adults Urban Suburban Rural
All cellphone owners Smartphone owners

28. September 21, 2015 Census Bureau 28

29. Disability and language preference (Pew Research)
54%
41%
81%
69%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Use internet Broadband at
home
Those with disabilities All adults
Sept. 2010 - http://bit.ly/1b2G69P
71%
38%
86%
70%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Use internet Broadband at
home
Spanish preferers All adults
Sept. 2013 - unpublished

30. Reasons why they don’t use internet
Just not interested 21%
Don’t have a computer 13
Too difficult/frustrating 10
Don’t know how/Don’t have skills 8
Too old to learn 8
Don’t have access 7
Too expensive 6
Don’t need it / Don’t want it 6
Think it’s a waste of time 4
Physically unable (e.g. poor eyesight or disabled) 4
Too busy/Just don’t have the time 3
Worried about privacy / viruses / spam / spyware / hackers 3
Summary of reasons
Relevance (not interested + waste of time + too busy + don’t need/want) 34%
Usability (difficult/frustrating + too old + don’t know how + physically unable +
worried about virus/spam/hackers/etc.
32
Price (too expensive + don’t have computer) 19
Lack of availability / Access 7

31. Most newcomers would need assistance
Would need
someone to
help me
63%
Know enough
to go online
on my own
17%
Would not
want to start
using internet
(VOL.)
13%
DK/Ref
6%

32. Thank you!
9/21/2015 32