25% of Americans are still not online...

The number of Americans who connect to the Internet is growing, but one out of four are still offline, according to data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau from its 2012 Current Population Survey.

The government report showed that in 1984, 8.2% of U.S. households had a computer, compared to 78.9% in 2012.

If Americans have a computer, they're likely to go online. The census report found that in 2012, 74.8% of U.S. households had Internet use at home, compared to 18% in 1997.

U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey

Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Current Analysis, said he's not surprised at the number of Americans who don't go online to play Angry Birds, read news stories on CNN.com or watch videos about clever cats on YouTube.

"First reaction, I would have thought there would be more people online in this country. Connectivity is the new normal," Gottheil said. "But if I'd given it much thought, I think I would have come up with this kind of number. We are a very big country... Some of us are poor. Some of us are very remote, and some of us don't like new things."

Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, said the study's numbers show an interesting journey for connectivity in the U.S.

"These numbers indicate a huge growth in home computers and Internet [connectivity] since the '80s and '90s, but also show we have a ways to go," Moorhead said. "One would expect that more than 75% of American households would have Internet via phones, broadband, or dial-up, but then again, there is access at public libraries and schools."

The whole notion of younger people as computer-savvy whiz kids who have to show their parents and grandparents how to use Facebook and Twitter might not be so spot on.