'Email? What's That?', One in Five Americans Says

Although for some of you this may sound pretty incredible, one in five US households never sent an email, the National Technology Scan report, compiled by Park Associated, reveals. Moreover, no less than 20 million households don't have an Internet connection, which means that approximately 18 percent of the total number of households can't access the web at home.

However, according to data provided by Parks Associates, 7 percent of the households without Internet access said they plan on bringing the Internet at home this year. Compared to the last year, when approximately 29 percent (31 million) of the total households didn't own an Internet connection, the current report reveals a slow growth but what's more important is that more homes manage to bring the web at home.

Among the other findings of the research, we can mention that 21 percent of the households have never searched the Internet for information using a search engine, while 30 percent of them have never used the computer to create and edit a document. Moreover, 21 percent of the households admitted they never conducted a search on the Internet for a certain website.

"Nearly one out of three household heads has never used a computer to create a document. These data underscore the significant digital divide between the connected majority and the homes in the unconnected minority that rarely, if ever, use a computer," said John Barrett, director, research, Parks Associates.

"Internet connections have slowly increased in U.S. households, but getting the disconnected minority online will continue to be difficult. Age and economics are important factors, but the heart of the challenge is deeper. Many people just don't see a reason to use computers and do not associate technology with the needs and demands of their daily lives."