Hello, prpro-ga!
I must be honest....this has been a very difficult subject to
research. While I have found concrete information pertaining to most
of your questions, others have no easy answers. There is virtually
nothing published about people who buy computers and then don't use
them! Apparently, no one has researched this specific aspect of
computer "laggardness". Many people, it seems, would like to own a
computer if they had the financial means and the technological
know-how.
As you will see in the following references, people either refrain
from buying computers out of necessity (primarily financial inability)
or out of choice. Therefore, these factors would have to change in
order to make buyers out of this market. Consequently, while
statistics on the number of computer nonowners is available, actual
financial predictions concerning this untapped market is absent.
This subject is so extensive that I focused primarily on the US and
Canadian market, as per your clarification. The cultural and economic
differences between the countries of the world are enormous. If you
truly want a global picture, it might be better to ask some further
questions about world regions or other specific countries of interest.
I hope the information I have provided paints a good picture of those
who either cannot, or choose not to own a computer. While there are
scores of articles about computer use and the internet, you have
centered on an area which is now, in today's wired world,
almost.....ancient!!
**************************************
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE COMPUTERS
**************************************
UNITED STATES
==============
2003
----
21% of US households did not own a personal computer in 2003, with the
greatest percentage of non-owners consisting of African Americans,
American Indians and those in the lowest income brackets. This
percentage is expected to remain fairly constant for the forseeable
future.
"The IBD/TIPP study was based on phone surveys of more than 6,100
adults nationwide from June to December 2003. The data can be
projected out to the total U.S. market, which consists of more than
105 million homes. So more than 22 million U.S. households don't have
a computer while 83 million households do, says TIPP."
From "Personal Computer Still Eludes A Fifth Of U.S. Households," by
Patrick Seitz. Investor's Business Daily.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/040109/tech_1.html
2000
----
The Pew Research Center has compiled some interesting statistics
concerning non-computer users in their report: Who's Not Online: 57%
of those without Internet access say they do not plan to log on." Pew
Internet and American Life. September 21, 2000.
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=21
"Non-computer users make up thirty-eight percent of the American
population. Some 54% of them are women, and 46% are men. An
interesting subgroup of non-Internet users is made up of those who use
computers but do not go online. Some 14% of those without Internet
access have computers. Fifty-seven percent of this
computer-but-no-Internet cohort are female and there is a relatively
large proportion of African-Americans in this group."
(From "Part 1: An overview of the digital divide.")
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/reports.asp?Report=21&Section=ReportLevel1&Field=Level1ID&ID=54#navigate
"Fully 57% of Americans over 50 do not use computers. One third of the
entire non-computer population is women over 50....Fully 28% of those
over 50 who have college or graduate degrees do not have access or
need for computers, while just 6% of those under 30 with college or
graduate degrees do not use computers."
(From "Part 3: The Grey Gap.")
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/reports.asp?Report=21&Section=ReportLevel1&Field=Level1ID&ID=56
=
Seniors:
"Among adults aged 55 to 75, computer ownership is 30% and growing."
From "Seniors and Newbies Too," by Virginia Chilcote. MacAttitude.
http://www.macattitude.com/9904/seniors.shtml
A recent edition of The Learning Marketspace e-newsletter quoted some
recent statistics on computer ownership published by the College
Board. The College Board reported that 3/4 of households with incomes
greater than $75,000 have computers, while 1/3 of households with
incomes between $25,000 and $35,000 have computers.
http://www.stolaf.edu/services/iit/newsletter/01-03/
=
Historical Overview of Computer Ownership
===========================================
See the following Computer Ownership Charts:
"Percent of U.S. Households with a Computer and Internet Connections"
(through 2001)NTIA and ESA, U.S. Department of Commerce, using U.S.
Census Bureau Current Population Survey Supplements.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0902841.html
Chart A-13: Percent of U.S. Households with Computers By Household
Type 1984-1998 (Selected Years)
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn99/App_III/Chart-A-13.html
Chart A-D: Percent of U.S. Households with Computers By Household
Type. By Rural, Urban and Central City Areas. 1984-1998 (Selected
Years)
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn99/App_III/Chart-A-D.html
"Percent of U.S. Households with a Computer, 1994: By Age, by Rural,
Urban, and Central-City Areas."
http://slis-two.lis.fsu.edu/~G634-16/table2.html
Computer Ownership Demographics
=================================
See "9-in-10 School-Age Children Have Computer Access; Internet Use
Pervasive, Census Bureau Reports." Press Release (Sept. 6 2001)
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-147.html
Hispanics Households
---------------------
"Hispanics, in particular, have seen significant increases in
household computer penetration. According to the "Digital World and
the U.S. Hispanic II" study by Cheskin Research computer penetration
among Hispanic households increased from 42.3 percent in the first
quarter of 2000 to nearly 47 percent in the fourth quarter. The rate
of growth of Hispanic household technology penetration over the last
two years is 80 percent compared to 21 percent for the overall
market."
From "Global Reach Express" (23 Feb., 2001)
http://www.glreach.com/eng/ed/gre/230201.php3
Statistics on Race, Financial and Educational Barriers
--------------------------------------------------------
See "Barriers to Computing - Statistics." Stanford University
http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-97-98/race-and-class-barriers/stat.html
The Senior Population
----------------------
Finances and lack of training facilities are the primary factors
holding Seniors back from owning computers.
"Research shows that those seniors with discretionary income
sufficient to purchase the equipment and software are achieving
computer literacy at the same rate as younger adults. The issue for
them is not overcoming technophobia but finding enough affordable
places where they can train, learn to use new applications and improve
their computer skills. "
Read "Too Old For Computers?" (August 1999)
http://web.pdx.edu/~psu01435/tooold.html
=======
CANADA
=======
2001
----
61% of Canadian households had personal computers.
From "Summary of Canadian Internet Sector 2001." eMarketer 2002
http://www.bizreport.com/article.php?art_id=2926
1999
----
53% of Canadians owned personal computers.
Source: Angus Reid Group "The Canadian Telecom & IT Review (Q4 1998)"
and "The Interactive Reid Report (1998-99)" as presented to Staying
Tuned 8 New Media; PMB'99; Nielsen Net Ratings Aug'99 / U.S. Census /
Optimedia Estimates
http://www.cca-canada.com/about/facts.htm
1998
----
40% of Canadians had personal computers.
From " Study: Canadians More Wired Than Ever," by Beth Cox. Internet.com
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/36461
1996
----
"According to the Statistics Canada Household and Facilities Survey
1996, of approximately 11.4 million Canadian households some 3.6
million, or 31.6%, have a home computer, up over 10% from the previous
year. Not surprisingly, data show that those with higher incomes are
more likely to have computers."
From "Who has Access to Technology?"
http://www.nald.ca/canorg/cclow/doc/Janus/17.htm
UNITED KINGDOM
==============
"40% of UK households still do not possess a computer" according to
recent statistics by Free Computers.org
From "Support National Computer Day - Friday 3rd October !" Free Computers.org
http://www.free-computers.org/cgi-bin/body.pl?page=1
=
Computer usage is not a priority among Brits, according to recent
research. In fact, many have no interest in learning about them at
all!
"The survey of 2000 UK adults showed that 42% of people are not
confident enough to use a computer at all....Of those who use PCs,
over 80% do not use them to their full potential and many do not want
to learn more...Recent research by the Oxford Internet Institute about
UK's net habits showed that only 59% regularly venture online, even
though 88% of Brits have access, through work, home, or public places
like computing centres of libraries."
Read"Britons still 'scared' of computers." BBC Nesws. (Oct 3, 2003)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3158170.stm
CHINA
======
"A nationwide sampling survey shows 38 percent of households in
China's provincial capitals and municipalities owned computers by the
end of 2001, a hefty rise over the 27.6 percent a year
earlier...According to the survey, one fifth of the households still
without a computer plan to make the purchase in the near future."
From "Computer Owners on Rise in Big Cities: Survey." Xinhua News
Agency (April 2002)http://www.china.org.cn/english/SO-e/31129.htm
NETHERLANDS
===========
In the Netherlands, "only one in ten older people would like to own a
computer and/or a VCR."
From "Statistics Netherlands."
http://www.cbs.nl/en/publications/articles/webmagazine/2004/1352k.htm
*******************************************************
STATISTICS AND REASONS WHY PEOPLE DO NOT OWN COMPUTERS
*******************************************************
Income
=======
Income is a primary factor in determining computer ownership.
"Many non-PC households don't feel they have the money to spend on a
computer....About 45% of households with income under $20,000 don't
have a PC. For incomes of $20,000 to $30,000, the percentage is 30%.
For households with incomes of $30,000 to $40,000, the percentage
without PCs falls to 20%."
From "Personal Computer Still Eludes A Fifth Of U.S. Households," by
Patrick Seitz. Investor's Business Daily.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/040109/tech_1.html
=
"Moreover, computing technology is not an absolute necessity the way
food, clothing, and shelter are. For many lower-income families--a
large percentage of which come from racial minority groups--who can
barely afford these items, the purchase of a computer is strictly out
of the question, as priority items must be secured first."
From "Barriers to Computing." Stanford University
http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-97-98/race-and-class-barriers/barriers.html
=
"Perceived expense" is the greatest barrier to computer ownership
among Hispanics in the United States, according to a study titled
"Digital World and the U.S. Hispanic II" study by Cheskin Research.
From "Global Reach Express" (23 Feb., 2001)
http://www.glreach.com/eng/ed/gre/230201.php3
Living location
================
"People living in rural areas are among the least likely to own a PC.
More than a fourth, or 28%, of such households don't own a computer.
The incidence of computerless households among suburbanites is half
the rate of rural households, at just 13%."
From "Personal Computer Still Eludes A Fifth Of U.S. Households," by
Patrick Seitz. Investor's Business Daily.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/040109/tech_1.html
=
Those people living in the city center are less likley to own a
computer than in the outlying metropolitan areas (58% compared to
46%). Those living in nonmetropolitan areas were least likely to have
a computer (only 42%). Western households were more likely to have a
home computer than Southern households (57% compared to 47%).
See "Home Computers and Internet Use in the United States: August
2000." US Dept. of Commerce. (Sept.2001)
http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p23-207.pdf
=
Computer ownership in the United States varies by region of the
country. However, I have not run across "why".
"Personal computers were the only electric appliances that were
clearly more common among Pacific households than among households
nationwide. Personal computers were found in 62 percent of Pacific
household in 2001, compared with 56 percent of U.S. households
overall. Personal computers were more common in Pacific households
than in U.S. households throughout the 1990-2001 period."
From "PACIFIC APPLIANCE REPORT - 2001." Energy Information Administration
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/appli/pacific.html
=
"West South Central households were less likely to have personal
computers. Personal computers (as well as televisions) differ from the
other appliances in the EIA survey in that they are primarily
electronic equipment. The market share of personal computers has shown
remarkable growth nationwide since it was first surveyed in 1990. That
year, 16 percent of all U.S. households had computers; by 2001, the
share was 56 percent. In the West South Central States, the share of
households with computers grew from 12 percent in 1990 to 49 percent
in 2001."
From "WEST SOUTH CENTRAL APPLIANCE REPORT - 2001." Energy Information
Administration. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/appli/w_s_c.html
You can access the other Regional Personal Appliance Reports from the
following webpage:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/appli/contents.html
Time Waster
===========
"Thomas Thorne, 46, of Claxton, Ga., fears a PC would just be a
disruption. "I would probably waste a lot of time on it," said Thorne,
a home builder. "It's fine for everybody else, but it's not OK for
me."........"I don't know what I'd use one for," said Freddie King,
51, of Stuttgart, Ark. King, who does small construction, spends his
free time hunting, fishing and playing with his grandkids. He doesn't
even own a TV. He did get a mobile phone six months ago because, he
says, he sees the value in that product.
From "Personal Computer Still Eludes A Fifth Of U.S. Households," by
Patrick Seitz. Investor's Business Daily.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/040109/tech_1.html
Too complicated and technical
==============================
"Computers differ extensively from many of today's domestic
appliances. Besides requiring a fair amount of monetary expense, they
also necessitate a substantial amount of knowledge and mastery.
Shopping for a computer can be incredibly complicated and stressful,
as individuals unaware of computer terminology can easily get lost in
extremely technical jargon which serve no role in communicating what
practical tasks a computer can really accomplish. And once purchased,
individuals realize that computers may need some sort of set up
procedure, which in its own right can be exceedingly complicated and
time consuming. Purchasing a computer is a serious investment, and
many may feel that their skills are simply not adequate enough to
justify such a large outlay of money. All in all, these factors can
negatively influence a potential computer buyer from making the
purchase, especially those who come from the lower-income brackets who
cannot sacrifice the time or money buying, researching, learning, or
installing computer systems in the household."
From "Barriers to Computing." Stanford University
http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-97-98/race-and-class-barriers/barriers.html
=
"I recently read a survey where senior non-owners were asked about
possible factors that would make them interested in buying a computer.
The strongest response was; "If it came with easy-to-understand
learning materials."
From "Seniors and Newbies Too," by Virginia Chilcote. MacAttitude.
http://www.macattitude.com/9904/seniors.shtml
=
"A new study in Australia has found that many people are afraid of
their own computers. Nearly 60% get stressed out when asked to do
something on a computer that they're unfamiliar with. Then, there's
the 15% who are so scared of their own computers that they avoid them
altogether (making you wonder why they bought them in the first
place). The numbers seem a little far fetched to me, and this is the
type of thing that goes away as people get used to their computers,
and learn not to fear them.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20030814/2322203.shtml
(Unfortunately, I cannot access the full article)
=
"Lack of information" is a prime deterrant to computer ownership among
US Hispanics."
The "Global Reach Express" (23 Feb., 2001)
http://www.glreach.com/eng/ed/gre/230201.php3
=
The technological challenge faced by office workers provides an
insight into why many choose against purchasing a computer:
"A staggering one in seven technologically challenged employees needs
help even switching their computers on and off, according to research
commissioned by City & Guilds. The UK vocational awarding body's study
of 405 random UK financial directors revealed that, despite the fact
that PCs have been around for over thirty years, getting to grips with
the devices is totally beyond many British office workers."
Read "Switching on PC is too technical for many users," by Robert
Jaques. The Register (10/09/2003)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/67/32742.html
Childless Households
=====================
Households without children are less likely to have a computer than
those with children.
See "Home Computers and Internet Use in the United States: August
2000." US Dept. of Commerce. (Sept.2001)
http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p23-207.pdf
Educational Level
====================
"Those households with the highest levels of education had the
greatest percentage of computer ownership" according to a 1999 paper
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics."
From "Computer Ownership up Sharply in the 1990's." (March 1999)
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ils/pdf/opbils31.pdf
=
Lack of educational role models, "family backgrounds, ethnic
traditions, and "subtle racism" can contribute added hindrances to
minorities and lower-income members who wish to participate in the
fields of computing" and can also affect the decision to purchase a
computer for the home.
From "Barriers to Computing." Stanford University
http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-97-98/race-and-class-barriers/barriers.html
Australian Seniors are reluctant to own computers for a variety of reasons
===============================================================================
Read "I?m a Senior: Why should I learn to use a Computer?" by Nan
Bosler. Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:oJOLZOmKL38J:www.seniorcomputing.org/current_issues/perth_conference/nanbosler/I%27m%2520a%2520senior%2520-%2520why%2520should%2520I%2520learn%2520to%2520use%2520a%2520computer.pdf+australians+afraid+of+computers&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
****************************************************
WHAT DO COMPUTER "LAGGARDS" DO WITH THEIR COMPUTERS?
****************************************************
1997 statistics:
"Of the adults who used computers at home, 71 percent did so for word
processing. Other common uses included games (54 percent) and e-mail
and communication (45 percent).
From "Computer Use Up Sharply; One in Five Americans Uses Internet,
Census Bureau Says." US Dept of Commerce. (1999)
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-194.html
=
According to the US Dept. of Commerce, if computer owners decide to go
online, email is still the primary reason they connect to the
internet.
"The chief uses of the Internet remained the same in September 2001 as
in August 2000, but occurred at much higher levels..... The
predominant use continued to be e-mail or instant messaging....Looking
more specifically at Internet users, e-mail easily outdistances all
other online activity." (See charts)
From "Chapter 3: Online Activities." A NATION ONLINE: How Americans
Are Expanding Their Use Of The Internet.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter3.htm
=
"Email is the application that has most engaged senior citizens with
the Internet. Ninety-three percent of wired seniors have sent or read
email. On a typical day, wired seniors are more likely to send email
than the average Internet user. Some 53% of all seniors with Internet
access go online to check email on a typical day, compared to 48% of
all Internet users. That figure suggests that on any given day about
two million seniors are using email. Email is popular with every group
of seniors - men, women, those with advanced educations and those with
just a high school education."
From "Wired Seniors: A fervent few, inspired by family ties." Pew
Research Center. (September 9, 2001)
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/reports.asp?Report=40&Section=ReportLevel3&Field=Level3ID&ID=77
More about the Unconnected Population?
======================================
Low family income, low levels of education, and ethnic minority status
are the primary reasons many with computers do not connect to the
internet.
Please read "Chapter 8: The Unconnected." A NATION ONLINE: How
Americans Are Expanding Their Use Of The Internet.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter8.htm
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
========================
Question Time: What Should Be Done About the "Digital Divide?" ACM.
http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/question/divide.html
"Personal Computer Market Share: 1975-2002." stats and graphs compiled
by Jeremy Reimer
http://www.pegasus3d.com/total_share.html
"Research about Older Adults and Computers, 1996 - Older Adults and Computers:
Report of a National Survey," By Richard P. Adler. Senior Net
http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=5476
"The Role of place on older adults' interest towards computer
classes," by Mary Beth Mazur. Georgetown University. (August 9, 2001)
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:WZZ26a6Z8eoJ:cct.georgetown.edu/thesis/bethmazur.pdf+statistics++computer+non-owners&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
====
Again, I sincerely hope this information is helpful!
umiat-ga
Search Strategy
----------------
Statistics +computer owners" in US
Statistics +computer owners" in Canada
statistics computer non-owners
computers in US households
computers in Canadian households
computer ownership
barriers to buying a computer
computers too difficult
survey of non-computer users
uses of computer other than internet
how big is the computer market?
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