The advent of Web 2.0 – the ability of people to use a range of information and
communication technology as a platform to express themselves online and participate in
the commons of cyberspace – is often heralded as the next phase of the information
society. Yet little is known about which segments of the population are inclined to make
robust use of information technology and which aren’t.

With that in mind, the Pew Internet & American Life Project conducted a survey
designed to classify Americans into different groups of technology users. We developed
our typology along three dimensions of people’s relationship to information and
communications technology (ICT):

Assets: We asked people about their use of the internet, cell phones and other
devices that connect to the internet (e.g., video or digital cameras). We also asked
about their use of services that facilitate digital consumption, participation, and
electronic communication (e.g., broadband and non-voice applications on cell
phones).

Actions: We asked about activities in which people engage, such as downloading
audio and video, generating their own online content, and a variety of things they do
with their cell phones and computers. We also asked about frequency of online use.

Attitudes: We asked how people see ICTs helping them to be more productive at
work, to pursue hobbies, and to keep up with family and friends; we also solicited
their views about information overload and technology’s capacity to offer more
control over their lives.

Our typology identifies a rich variety of Web 2.0 users and non-users. At one end of the
spectrum, the survey identifies the heaviest consumers, most active users, and happiest
denizens of the information society. It also locates those who find great satisfaction in the
use of ICT even though they have fewer network resources. In the middle range, the
typology highlights some users who have invested a lot in services and hardware, but feel
uncomfortable with the extra connectivity. And at the other end of the spectrum, it
identifies those who get along – many of them just fine – with a relative scarcity of
information goods and services.