A new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that while 31% of American adults get lots of productivity and satisfaction out of using Internet-connected technology, 20% use such devices grudgingly — and almost half could care less (see WebSight, Of Monkeys and Men).

While 85% of Americans own either a cell phone or an Internet-enabled computer, the report found that only 8% use those assets intensively to express themselves and interact with others. About 49% either don't use the technology or do so sparingly, due to either information overload or an inability to master the functions of devices they own.

Thirty-one percent of respondents were classified as “elite users.” This group broke out into four almost equal subsets, ranging from the “omnivores” who plunge into Web 2.0 activities to “lackluster veterans” who use the Internet a lot but their mobile phones to a lesser degree. They also aren't excited about being constantly accessible.