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The Pew Research Centre has identified new classifications of internet/digital communications users in research on Information and Communication Technology. Pew have established that the key differentiation is between mobile users and static users of ICT. They have further divided the population into 5 subsets of each of these two major groupings. The survey identified that 39% of the adult US population are now "Motivated by mobility" as compared with the 61% for whom "Stationary media will do". comScore, the digital world's measuring specialists, have also published some very similar results showing how the use of mobile devices to access news and information more than doubled during 2008.
For the 39% who are "Motivated by mobility" their increased use of ICT has largely been driven by the mobile opportunities. However there are fairly major variations across the 5 different subsets in terms of their attitude and usage of communications when on the move.
The "Stationary media will do" majority certainly include those who are mistrustful of technology but interestingly there are a number of people who are technically adept but who have decided that they are not interested in communicating when away from home.
In detail, the "Motivated by mobility" users divide into the following five categories:
- Digital collaborators. 8% of all US adults use their broadband and mobile devices to maintain frequent contact with others online and to share their thoughts and experiences. This category includes the bloggers and twitterers.
- Ambivalent networkers. 7% of the interviewees are happy to use the available technology when it suits them and are heavy users of texting. But they sometimes struggle with traffic volumes and are happy to switch off occasionally.
- Media movers. Another 7% who are heavy users of mobile phones and with access to other digital devices - but these are used principally for social purposes rather than for personal or professional advancement.
- Roving nodes. This 9% group are heavy phone users when on the move but are more likely to use fixed lines for internet communications. They are much less likely than the previous groups to blog or to manage websites.
- Mobile newbies. A further 8% of the population where under half are internet users but all are enthusiastic mobile phone users.
Although comScore were not categorising the market in the same way, their finding that, during the course of 2008, twice as many people were using a mobile device to access news and information certainly supports the Pew results. comScore also measured a 407% increase in mobile device usage for accessing social networking sites or blogs. More from comScore at: http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2009/3/Daily_Mobile_Internet_Usage_Grows
Pew's passive "Stationary media will do" sector divides into these 5 categories:
- Desktop veterans. 13% who are dedicated fixed line web users but who only use mobile phones for talking.
- Drifting surfers. 14% who are infrequent online users despite having home access to broadband.
- Information encumbered. 10% who are overwhelmed by information and are not up to managing modern ICTs.
- Tech indifferent. 10% who are unenthusiastic about the internet or mobile phones.
- Off the network. The remaining 14% who are not mobile or internet users.
You can read the full report at
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1162/internet-typology-users-mobile-communication-devices and there's a quiz where you can check out your own profile. |
