Novice Internet Users (NIUs)
Novice Internet Users (NIUs) are individuals who experience low digital confidence usually due to low digital literacy. There are 2.5 billion NIUs in the world today, comprising the majority of 4.7 billion internet users globally. As a result, NIUs have the power to shape the future of the internet and learning from their experiences will be critical to creating a better internet for everyone, everywhere.
Novice Internet Users are more likely to be found in unsaturated, high-growth markets for smartphones and the internet. We call these Next Billion Users (NBU) countries, which include Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Below are some actual stories from NIUs who we have met over the years: