A useful post by Eszter Hargittai about some research conducted by an independent company on search engine use. The research concludes that wealthier, more experienced Internet users were more likely to use Google than those with lower incomes and less experience.

There are also some interesting reflections about whether experience of Internet use (measured in simple time chunks) is a good predictor of online skill acquisition. In other words, there are other variables apart from simply using the Internet for several years that condition what you are able to do with the technology. This reminds me a bit about the debate over 'surface' vs 'deep' learning among students in higher education.