Despite the transformational impacts of the Internet on society and commerce, surveys have shown a sizable portion of non-Internet users reporting that they have no need for the Internet. Literature often explains Internet non-use as a result of lack of skills and/or informed decision to reject the Internet. This paper raises an alternative explanation: nonusers may report no need for the Internet because they are not fully aware of the Internet’s information and transaction benefits. Our survey data from rural Guangdong, China suggest that nonusers are comparatively under-informed about the Internet’s utilitarian benefits (such as aiding work and learning). Alternative explanations for the reported lack of need for the Internet are examined and policy implications are also discussed.
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