Being offline. Reasons for not using the Internet in Austria
In: Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Politikwissenschaft, Heft 4, S. 363-382
About 80% of Austrians are online. While research on Internet usage and users is extensive, studies focussing on people being offline are relatively rare. Against the background of the digital divide the paper presents some findings of an empirical study among this group in Austria. The results show that in many cases people rather choose not to use the Internet than being hindered by certain obstacles. The main reason for this is the impression that one would not benefit from going online. However, the feeling of lacking technical competence is also important. Other issues include the time necessary for using the Internet and concerns about the security online. As the data shows, age and education can be used to distinguish between different groups among people being offline. Adapted from the source document.