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IS OUR LEISURE TIME BECOMING DIGITAL TIME?
November 19th, 2008
New TNS study into global digital life shows we are spending just under a third (30%) of our leisure time online
(New York, New York, November 19, 2008) — A TNS global survey entitled Digital World, Digital Life, probing online behaviours and perspectives shows that, on average, people across the 16 countries surveyed are spending close to a third (30%) of their leisure time online.
It appears we like our 30% digital time regardless of how much free time we have. Digital World, Digital Life found that respondents with up to 2 hours leisure time each week day, spent the same proportion of their leisure time online as respondents who had between 7 and 8 hours of leisure time on a week day.
What are the top 5 activities that people undertake while online? TNS asked people to identify a range of activities in the month before they took the survey. A total of 81% had used a search engine to find information; 76% had looked up the news; 74% had used online banking; 65% had looked up the weather; and 63% had researched a product or service before buying it. These activities are all inherently very practical. The highest ranking classic leisure activity – “watching a video clip” – only came in at number 8 with half (51%) saying they had done this in the past month. Another leisure activity – “listening to an audio clip” – came in at number 10 (44%).
Arno Hummerston, Managing Director, TNS Global Interactive, said: “If our leisure time is so precious, then why do we on average spend almost a third of it using the internet? We believe it is because we are making more efficient use of our valuable time, specifically by using the internet – thereby allowing us to fit more into our lives. Being online helps people fulfill certain tasks and activities quickly and efficiently. By spending productive time online, we are actually making more time for leisure. With more social and entertainment activities available online, it is also easy to understand why our lives are becoming more digital.”
Who and where are the most avid onliners in the world? Younger people under 25, as might be expected, are seriously engaged with online life. The under 25s surveyed in the report say they spend well over a third (36%) of their time online. On average, Chinese respondents under 25 spend half (50%) of their leisure time online.
If the world is to take its lead from Japan and Korea – countries that are seen as being innovative and pioneering in the online world – then we can expect to spend even more time online. In those countries, respondents say they currently spend on average around two-fifths of their leisure time online.
There are particular groups of people that are more avid users of the internet than others. For example, across the 16 countries surveyed, students spend 39% of their time online. Housewives are another distinct group of online users. In the US, the housewives participating in Digital World, Digital Life, said they spend 38% of their leisure time online. In the UK, this was even more pronounced with housewives saying they spend almost half (47%) of their leisure time online. This might be explained by the rapid expansion of online food shopping, particularly in the UK where online shopping expenditure in general now tops £1 billion per month (Source: Mintel 2008).
The Digital World, Digital Life survey also underlined that mobile handsets are frequently used to connect to the internet. Worldwide, 1 in 10 respondents surveyed say they connect to the internet once a day via mobile handsets. But Asia’s adoption trends imply significant growth prospects. Among the Japanese and Chinese respondents to the survey, for example, over a quarter of people access the internet over mobile connections at this once-a-day frequency.
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About Digital World, Digital Life
TNS completed analysis of the results of its 16-country study into online behaviour and perspectives around the world at the end of 2008. A total of 27,522 people aged 18 to 55 years old were interviewed online in the following countries: Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. The research focused on four themes. First, the survey looked at how we are using the internet for entertainment, information and commerce. Second, the survey analysed whether people are using online channels when making major life decisions – health, family, education, investment etc. Third, how far social media has developed? Last, how much trust do people have in online sources of information versus traditional media or straightforward recommendations from friends?
About TNS
TNS is a global market information and insight group.
Its strategic goal is to be recognised as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights that help its clients make more effective business decisions.
TNS delivers innovative thinking and excellent service across a network of 80 countries. Working in partnership with clients, TNS provides high-quality information, analysis and insight that improves understanding of consumer behaviour.
TNS is the world’s leading provider of customised services, combining sector knowledge with expertise in the areas of Product Development & Innovation, Brand & Communications, Stakeholder Management and Retail & Shopper. TNS is a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and audience measurement services.
TNS is the sixth sense of business™.
For more information about TNS, please visit www.tnsglobal.com
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The Kantar Group is one of the world's largest research, insight and consultancy networks. By uniting the diverse talents of more than 20 specialist companies – including the recently-acquired TNS – the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and actionable insights for the global business community. Its 26,500 employees work across 80 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at each and every point of the consumer cycle. The group’s services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. The Kantar Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WPP Group plc. For further information, please visit www.kantargrouptns.com