--- title: "Indifferents" description: "Indifferents: They have a fair amount of technology on hand, but it does not play a central role in their daily lives. This group collectively has a portfolio of information technology that is the lower than any of the preceding groups. Although Indifferents with online access will log on to the internet once every day […]" date: "2007-05-06" authors: - name: "Pew Research Center" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2007/05/06/indifferents/" --- # Indifferents ### Indifferents: They have a fair amount of technology on hand, but it does not play a central role in their daily lives. This group collectively has a portfolio of information technology that is the lower than any of the preceding groups. Although [][Indifferents ]with online access will log on to the internet once every day or so, they are not active users of online resources. They believe – though not too strongly – that information technology is a good way to keep up with family and friends, but they do not much care for how these gadgets make them more available to others. ### Assets Some 63% of Indifferents have online access and 68% have cell phones. Adding to their low rates of access to the basics, just 12% have broadband at home – a figure that is less than a third the rate of the average. This group is not well-equipped with tools for accessing the web wirelessly or enjoying digital content “on the go.” One in nine (11%) have laptop computers, 4% have MP3 players, and just 3% have PDAs. Their cell phones generally do not have the capacity to surf the internet, or play music of videos. ### Activities About half (35%) of internet users in this group will go online on the typical day, but few use the internet frequently either at home or work. Just 4% say they log on several times a day at home, and 12% of Indifferents say this about logging on at the work; both figures are well below the norm. This group exhibits little interest in online activities such as downloading music or video and only 9% log on just to pass the time or for fun on the average day – one-third the average. Indifferents tend to watch TV everyday or listen to the radio, but only on the old-fashioned devices for accessing such programming. > ICTs on the periphery: few like how it makes them more available to others and hardly any think it makes them more productive. > > ### Attitudes ICTs are not central enough in the lives of Indifferents to make them very enthusiastic about them. Most like having so much information available to them (63% versus the 67% average), and but just 22% say technology gives them more control over their lives – a figure that is less half the average and the lowest of any group. Only 14% like the extra availability to others that ICTs bring, below the 48% average. Only 5% thinks ICTs make them more productive, far below the 33% average. Finally, 6% and 7%, respectively, of internet users in this group say it would be very hard to give up the internet and email. Some Indifferents (30%) seem to value information technology to keep up with family and friends, but that is half the average and the lowest of any group. ### Demographics The median age for Indifferents is 47 and the typical Indifferent group member has been online for 5 years – below the 7 years which is the median for all online users. The group is mostly white (76%) and comes in below the average for income, educational attainment, and employment. Its gender composition is close to that of the general population (52% of this group is men) and this group makes up 11% of the general population. --- **Next:** [Off the Network](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2007/05/06/off-the-network.md)