What People Do not Use the Internet and How Do They Manage It: Analyses of Social and Cultural Dimensions of Using and Non Using Internet

In this study was made an attempt to create a portrait of Internet users and non-users. As a prerequisite for writing this paper, we considered the currently popular method of online surveys and its significant drawback – the occurrence of a coverage error associated with the inability to cover a category of people who, for some reason, are not able to participate in online surveys. To achieve this goal, an analysis of the database of a telephone survey of one of the research companies in Russia was carried out. The authors also studied theoretical and empirical works concerning, first of all, the specifics of online surveys, and the differences between Internet users and non-users in different countries. The data analysis was based on the study of the socio-demographic characteristics of Internet users and non-users, as well as the political attitudes and views of respondents. As a result of the conducted research, it was possible to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of Internet users and non-users, to understand which set of characteristics is characteristic of the most active immersion in the Network, as well as to trace the political interests of the groups we are considering.