Internet dropouts in the USA: The invisible group

Abstract

Internet dropouts are overlooked in discussions about cyberspace, yet their numbers approach those of Internet users. Our national surveys of Americans in 1995 and 1996, found that dropouts were younger, poorer, and less well educated than were users. Teenage users of the Internet appear especially likely to dropout, yet surprisingly in light of feminist literature on the subject, females are not any more prone to dropout than males. Initial commitment and motive, as well as sunk costs, seem to be important factors affecting perseverance in the face of the Internet's technical, procedural and substantive frustrations.