This document summarizes key findings about digital divides in the United States: 1) There remain divides in internet access and broadband adoption based on factors like age, income, education level, ethnicity, disability status, and whether people live in urban, suburban, or rural areas. 2) While home broadband adoption has increased overall, smartphone ownership has grown significantly and additional people now have internet access through smartphones even if they lack home broadband. 3) The main barriers for those who do not use the internet include lack of interest, not having a computer or access, difficulty using the technology, and not seeing its relevance to them.

1. The State of Digital Divides
Lee Rainie - @lrainie
Director - PRC’s Internet Project
Washington Post Live: “Bridging the
Digital Divides”
11.5.13

2. Divide factors
Age
Income and educational attainment
Community type
Disability
Spanish-speaking preference

3. Internet adoption
100%
79%
73%
80%
61%
60%
63%
80%
85%
75%
74%
68%
50%
36%
40%
46%
23%
20%
14%
(Jun)
0%
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

4. Broadband at home
Dial-up
Broadband
100%
70%
80%
60%
40%
Broadband at
home
3%
20%
Dial-up
at home
0%
June
2000
April
2001
March March
2002 2003
April
2004
March March March
2005 2006 2007
April
2008
April
2009
May
2010
Aug
2011
April
2012
May
2013

5. Internet use & broadband by income
100%
90%
92%
60%
50%
40%
85%
access
80%
70%
94%
70%
84%
84%
70%
access bb
@ home 54%
96%
85%
$50,000 $74,999
$75,000 $99,999
97%
96%
90%
90%
$100,000 $149,999
$150k or
more
77%
64%
63%
$20,000 $29,999
$30,000 $39,999
42%
30%
20%
10%
0%
<$10k
$10,000 $19,999
$40,000 $49,999
Broadband at home
Use the internet

6. Changes in smartphone ownership
80%
May 2011
February 2012
May 2013
56%
60%
46%
48%
41%
40%
35%
35%
17%
20%
12%
9%
0%
Smartphone
Other cell phone
No cell phone

7. Have
broadband at
home
All adults
Have home
broadband or
smartphone
Change from
adding
smartphones
70%
80%
+10
a
Men
71
81
+10
b
Women
69
78
+9
Race/ethnicity
a
White, Non-Hispanic
74bc
80
+6
b
Black, Non-Hispanic
64c
79
+15
c
Hispanic
53
75
+22
Age
a
18-29
80cd
95bcd
+15
b
30-49
78cd
89cd
+11
c
50-64
69d
77d
+11
d
65+
43
46
+3

8. Have
broadband at
home
All adults
Have home
broadband or
smartphone
Change from
adding
smartphones
70%
80%
+10
Education attainment
a
No high school diploma
37
52
+15
b
High school grad
57a
70a
+13
c
Some College
78ab
87ab
+9
d
College +
89abc
93abc
+4
Urbanity
a
Urban
70c
80c
+10
b
Suburban
73c
83c
+10
c
Rural
62
70
+8

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

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

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

12. Thank you!