Who are the lucky people who are extremely offline? Pew conducted a study to find out, and if you're reading this, that group probably does not include you.
There are those who log off, which usually means taking a social media break or putting down your smartphone for mental health reasons, which is something you've probably considered if you're too addicted to catching up on the world, however you define it.
Then there are those who never go online in the first place. In the United States, the offline are more likely to be over 65 years old, have less than a high school education, make less than $30,000 per year, and live in a rural area, according to a Pew study.
The number of people who are offline now versus four years ago has changed little since, but the number has trended downward drastically since 2000 when almost 50 percent of adults did not use the internet. While it's easy to characterize being offline with being uninformed, there might be some wisdom in it that younger generations can learn from. Those born after 1995 face the greatest negative impact from social media use, which has resulted in an uptick in depression, psycholgical distress, and suicide.
If you're thinking of joining the ranks of the offline, or at least taking a few steps back, check out our how-to guide on erasing yourself from the internet.
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