3.1.6.1 The Internet Wary

Representatives of the group of the Internet Wary make up a mere seven per cent of the decision-maker landscape and are rarely to be found here. In contrast, 27 per cent of the general population can be classified in this Internet milieu, which can be characterised above all by a heightened perception of the risks on the Internet and the related demands for protection and control.

The Internet Wary among the decision-makers belong overwhelmingly to the traditional segment of society. These decision-makers are frequently managing directors in small companies with fewer than 20 people on the staff. They belong to a generation in which it is not unusual to be a successful entrepreneur or reach a top management position even without a university degree. These decision- makers are frequently over 60 and are in part preparing for the next chapter of their lives when their professional careers have come to an end. They seldom seek contact with the Internet during their everyday lives, preferring the direct communication between one person and another. The rapid pace of digitalisation and modernisation not only makes them feel insecure, it alienates them – many of the supposed „necessities“ appear superfluous to them, and in view of the flood of information and communications technologies, they sometimes feel adrift in a working world which is no longer theirs.