Report: 30 percent of Americans without Internet access

“It may be surprising to some people, because a lot of people think everyone has a computer, everyone has Internet at home, everyone knows how, and that’s not true,” said Annette Vigil, manager of South Mountain Community Library in Phoenix, Ariz.

The lack of access is particularly common for seniors, with about 54 percent of Americans aged 65 and older having no Internet access. That makes computers and computer classes at libraries and senior centers “really popular,” according to Vigil, whose library offers free computer classes in English and Spanish every week.

South Mountain’s experience is not unusual, said Kathryn Zickuhr, an analyst from the Pew Research Center, which has reported on the digital divide.

“When seniors or other people who don’t use the Internet very much need to go online, to access government forms that are now online-only, they go to libraries for help,” Zickuhr said.

The Census survey described a “connectivity continuum” that ranged from people with no computer or Internet access at home, to those who have multiple devices to access the Internet.

Nationally, 15.9 percent of people had no home computer and another 14.4 percent had a computer but no Internet access in 2011 — the year profiled in the report.

On the other end of the spectrum, 37.3 percent of Americans were “highly connected,” with access from home and elsewhere.

Men and women were about even in terms of access, while Asians and Caucasians had higher levels of connectivity than African Americans and Hispanics.

Greta Byrum, an analyst from the Open Technology Institute at New America Foundation, said it is essential that “people from all walks of life have access to the Internet and digital resources.”

“This should be a leading policy priority and a focus of investment,” Byrum said.

Vigil agreed that it is important for citizens to get online, because it is “the way the world is now.”

“The world has changed from 10 years ago,” Vigil said. “You can’t apply for jobs anymore, unless you know how to get on the Internet.”

That’s where libraries and other facilities come in.

“There are many people in our community, who don’t have computers at home and don’t know how to use them, so it’s very important that they have a place that they can come learn the basics and practice,” Vigil said.

At Chandler’s Senior Center in Chandler, Ariz., classes teach people “how to move the mouse, how to type and everything,” said Loretta Colson, a customer service representative at the center. She said many of the seniors have never used the Internet before and don’t have anyone to learn from.

The Surprise Senior Center in Surprise, Ariz., has been operating a computer lab and offering training classes for 10 years, said Leslie Rudders, a supervisor at the center. Classes are held six times a month on the basics of the computer and Internet.

“They want to learn, they realize it is the way of the future,” Rudders said. “To function in today’s modern world, everybody needs to have basic computer skills.”

And Rudders said senior citizens want to be able to email family members or stay in touch with friends, like everyone else.

“They want to send pictures, see pictures, email back and forth, which gives them nice context,” she said.

Rudders said seniors at her center are starting to buy tablets and smartphones, pushing the center to upgrade its service.

“Hopefully this coming year we are going to try to get wireless in here, so we can teach some of the newer devices as well,” she said.

WEB, NOT QUITE WORLDWIDE

Individuals age 3 and older and their connection to the Internet in 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau:

NATIONAL

No connection anywhere: 30.3 percent

Connection, but not at home: 5.6 percent

Connection at home only: 26.7 percent

Connection at home and elsewhere: 37.3 percent