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Reading This? You Might Be an Omnivore

by Terrence O'Brien on May 7, 2007 at 10:52 AM


The Pew Internet and American Life Project, a division of the politically ubiquitous Pew Research Center, released a report on how the American public uses technology. The study divides us into three major groups with some interesting results:

  • Elite users, who rely on technology for everyday life and are most likely to utilize social, "Web 2.0" sites such as MySpace and YouTube.
  • Middle-of-the-Road users, who view tech in a task-oriented fashion, focusing on communication rather than creativity.
  • And those with few technology "assets," who tend to leverage technology minimally in their daily lives.
These main groups are then divided into subgroups based on attitudes towards technology with some... unusual titles. For instance, Elite users who voraciously partake in tech and gadgetry are known as "omnivores."

The study reveals several other interesting trends -- almost half of all Americans (49%) fall into the "few technological assets" category. All that hoopla about Web 2.0 got a bit of a sting when this study revealed that "omnivores" only make up about 8% of all Internet users.

Similarly, only 10% of Americans fall into the Middle-of-the-Road subgroup. While often surrounded by technology, these "connected but hassled users" view it as a hindrance rather than a help. Meanwhile, a full 15% are still completely unplugged, not even owning a cell phone with Internet access.

Related Links:

From Textually.org

Tags: omnivores, pew, research, survey, web

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