INTERNET DROPOUTS IN THE USA - THE INVISIBLE GROUP

Internet dropouts are overlooked in discussions about cyberspace, yet their numbers approach those of Internet users, Our national surveys o f Americans in 1995 and 1996, found that dropouts were younger, poorer , and less well educated than were users. Teenage users of the Interne t appear especially likely to dropout, yet surprisingly in light of fe minist literature on the subject, females are not any more prone to dr opout than males, Initial commitment and motive, as well as sunk costs , seem to be important factors affecting perseverance in the face of t he Internet's technical, procedural and substantive frustrations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd, All rights reserved.