Sorrows of China's 'unconnected group' in Internet age

This year Yang Jiusheng made a secret New Year's resolution: To master the instant messaging service WeChat on his smartphone.

This will be no easy task for the 66-year-old retiree from Ruijin City in east China's Jiangxi Province, as accessing the Internet is confusing for him. But knowing that it will mean he can chat with his son in Beijing makes it a challenge worth the headache.

"My son is very busy and cannot call as often as I would like, so I decided to become a 'netizen' and connect to him on WeChat," Yang said.

More and more Chinese are connecting to the Internet, but just as many are left on the sidelines of the Internet era, wondering if you really can teach old dogs new tricks.

This group of people, known as "Tuowangzu", the unconnected group, are grappling with the devices and processes needing to be mastered to gain access to the Internet. This means that convenient services such as online banking, online messaging and taxi-hailing are out of reach for scores of senior citizens, migrant workers and those living in remote areas.

Earlier this month, the Internet Network Information Center reported that there were 649 million people online in China, but the Internet penetration rate at the end of 2014 was only 47.9 percent, meaning more than half of the population are "unconnected."

"I know I could book tickets online right now, but I don't know how to use computers or smartphones," one migrant worker from Jiangxi told Xinhua.

The worker said she had no choice but queue outside ticketing offices to obtain a ticket home for this year's annual Lunar New Year travel rush, known as "Chunyun", while for those with Internet knowledge tickets are just a few clicks away.

Many unconnected citizens interviewed by Xinhua said they found it difficult to use computers or smartphones.

"My son bought me a smartphone last year but I prefer the simple models because I only make telephone calls," said a 66-year-old man from Nanchang City, capital of Jiangxi Province. "I don' t know how to use the mobile Internet."

Zhang Guo, from Zhengzhou City, capital of central China's Henan Province, said her daughter uses online slang, which she finds it really hard to understands.

"I can often hear my daughter say she is 'drunk' when talking about things, which is strange," said Zhang.

"Being drunk" is a popular online phrase in China used to express disdain or losing the will to scold or complain.

In addition to a lack of technological know-how, frequent reports of cyber crimes have bred uncertainty among the unconnected group, according to Yin Xiaojian, a research fellow with Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"Internet fraud rings target this group, making them -- understandably -- wary of new technology," said the academic.

Yin said more attention should be given to the unconnected and the government should draft measures to help them.

"For example, our government can provide the grassroots with skills workshops or offer services to help them access Internet services," he said.

He also said that the younger generation should help their unconnected relatives.

Zhang Yi, president of iiMedia Research Group, which specializes in mobile Internet, said this group was a huge market.

He said technology companies should develop special software that is easier to operate.

"The Internet should be a tool that brings people together, rather than dividing them," he said.