Nearly half of all Americans have little real interest in mobile phones or the Internet, according to an extraordinary study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Just 31% of the population is classed as advanced technology users, with a further one in five a mere moderate user.

Pew associate director John Horrigan said researchers “were surprised to find the tensions within groups of users with information technology.” For example, enterprises hoping to capitalize on the one in three Americans dubbed the technological elite could be surprised to discover that a quarter of the group are resistant to new iterations of wireless and Internet technologies, preferring a Web landscape similar to the one most surfers first experienced 10 years ago.

Horrigan dubs those users the “lackluster veterans” and says elite consumers include three other notable demographics – those who embrace technology for work, those who do so for a creative outlet and those who view handsets and the Internet as basic communication tools. Each group is likely to respond differently to marketing and technology initiatives, suggesting the era of one-size-fits-all tech campaigns are over.

The study of 4,001 adults found that 15% of respondents had neither wireless nor Internet service, while a further 15% claim to be satisfied with light usage. An additional 11% said such technological advances were annoying but admitted to occasional usage. Horrigan said the discovery of niche consumer classes could prove beneficial for marketers rather than frustrating, citing the example of middle-aged women as an untapped broadband consumer base – provided operators hit upon the magic sales strategy.

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