Do you sometimes wish that your phone doesn't ring? Well, you're not alone.
A study from Pew Internet and American Life Project, "The Mobile Difference", has revealed that even 20-somethings can occasionally be overwhelmed by technology. Ten groups were identified in the report, with 39 percent of the adults surveyed found to be active in adopting mobile technology.
This chunk of users was grouped into five categories that comprised Digital Collaborators, Ambivalent Networkers, Media Movers, Roving Nodes and Mobile Newbies.
The remaining 61 percent were either comfortable with desktop computers or were infrequent online users, or rooted in old media platforms.
In the findings, Digital Collaborators have the most tech assets, using them to work and share their creations, and are generally enthusiastic about digital technology. They are mostly well-educated and well-off males in their late 30s.
Ambivalent Networkers have integrated mobile tech into their lifestyles, but are also worried that mobile devices are intrusive and that they would benefit from taking a break online. They also don't always like it when their phones ring. Males in their late 20s make up this group.
Media Movers frequently create content such as digital images and pass along these nuggets of information right away. They are mostly men in the late 30s, many with children, and in the middle-income group.
Roving Nodes, generally well-educated and affluent women in their late 30s, make use of basic apps such as email to better manage their lives and to enhance productivity.
The last group, Mobile Newbies, are women in their 50s with lower educational and income levels. They have the least tech assets, but are reliant on their cell phones and reluctant to give them up.
What's interesting to note is that the majority of people who access the Internet wirelessly on their mobile devices also have high-speed connections, usually broadband cable, at home. That places demand not only on different types of infrastructure, but also on online digital content for consumption.
Switching off the lights for 1 hour was easy during Earth Hour last Saturday. But if you were asked to give up the Internet and your mobile device for one day, would you be able to do it?
Courtesy: Mr. Damian Koh - Asia CNET
