The Technological Elite and Other Users This report from the Pew Internet and American Project, takes an inventory of the communications gadgets and services that American use and
examine the variations within the population of technology users. This elite comprises three distinct sub-groups of Americans who are the most voracious consumers of information goods and services in
the United States.
- Generation Xers (GenXers) make up most of the technology elite (about 60%). The average age for this group is 36 years.
- The Young Tech Elites make up one-fifth of the
technology elite. The average age for this group is 22 years.
- Older Wired Baby Boomers make up the remaining one-fifth of the technology elite. The average age for these baby boomers is 52.
What is distinctive about technology elites is that they would rather do without their wireline telephone than their computer. For the Young Tech Elites, the cell phone is more important than the
wireline phone, and email is as important as telephonic communication. For the Young Tech Elites, the Internet is a regular source for daily news and an indispensable element of their entertainment
experience. - Young Tech Elites: Making up 6% of the U.S. population, these are the heaviest technology users. The average age in this group is 22 years and members are more likely to be male than
female. All have Internet access, most have cell phones and DVD players (80% or more), and most are most engaged with the interactive aspects of the Internet.. Their monthly spending on information
goods and services averages $161.10
- Older Wired Baby Boomers: This group is 6% of the population, is mostly male, and has an average age of 52 years. These people spend the most money per month
of any group (an average of $175), 100% have Internet access, and most (82%) have cell phones. They are very active information gatherers online.
- Wired Generation Xers: This group comprises 18%
of the U.S. population and a member of this cohort is as likely to be female as male. Relative to the other two groups in the tech elite, Wired GenXers have less online experience, but they have
quickly embraced a wide range of information goods and services. All use the Internet and 82% have cell phones. They are the second most active group (behind the Young Tech Elites) in pursuing the
Net's interactive features. They spend an average of $169 per month on information goods and services. The average age in this group is 36.
- Wired Senior Men: This is a very highly educated
small cluster (1% of the sample) of mostly older men (average age is 70) who have a wealth of online experience, having been online for about 10 years.
- Young Marrieds: This group is 15% of the
population, with an average age of 24 years and evenly split between men and women. Two-thirds (66%) use the Internet and more than half (56%) have cell phones. Their average monthly spending on
information goods is $124.
- Low-Tech Older Baby Boomers: This other group of aging baby boomers has an average age of 54 years, is tilted toward women, makes up 21% of the population, and has a
cell phone penetration rate that exceeds Internet penetration (60% to 51%). This group has lower-than-average educational and income levels and only a few years of Internet experience. Their average
monthly spending on information goods is $124.
- Unwired Young Baby Boomers: This group makes up 16% of the population. Members of this group are slightly more likely to be women than men and the
average age is 39 years. Internet penetration is modest (45%), but 69% have cell phones, which exceeds the national average.
- Low-Tech Elderly: Making up 16% of the population, more than half
(58%) of this group is women and the average age is 73 years. Only 12% use the Internet, 39% have a cell phone, and much of their technology use is oriented to "old" media. Fully 68% subscribe to
cable, 57% read the newspaper daily, and 78% watch TV news on the average day.
Find out more here.