Asian web surfers top for time spent online

01 Dec 2008 10:06

Chinese youths spend more leisure time online than those of any other nation, while Koreans are the most engaged in social networking, a study has found

Internet users in China aged below 25 spend on average 50 percent of their leisure time online, according to a survey.

Released on Friday, the Digital World, Digital Life study by market research firm TNS shows that the global average for the amount of leisure time spent in cyberspace is nearly 30 percent.

Over 27,500 people aged between 18 and 55 were interviewed online for the study. The respondents came from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US.

Besides the Chinese, users in Japan and Korea also spend a significant amount of time on the internet. Respondents in the two countries said they spend, on average, about 40 percent of their leisure time engaged in online activities.

Those surveyed in China also demonstrated high levels of social media engagement, said TNS in a media statement. Ninety-four percent of respondents in the country said they participated in forums or bulletin-board services, and about 60 percent of Chinese forum visitors contribute on a regular — daily or several times a week — basis. Italian and Spanish users were ranked second and third, respectively, for forum contribution.

Nearly nine out of 10 Chinese respondents indicated that they actively read or contribute to blogs, and 85 percent said they participate in chatrooms.

Koreans ranked highest in social-network site engagement; 86 percent of respondents said they were involved in social networking. Net users in Korea, on average, were members of 4.6 sites.

Germany stood out for its wiki involvement, with 92 percent of German respondents indicating that they view or contribute to wikis.

"Our data clearly demonstrates how Asian countries are taking the lead when it comes to social media usage and participation," said Bernice Klaassen, TNS Interactive's head in Singapore and Hong Kong.

"These relatively new channels are opening up unprecedented opportunities for self-expression, communication and interaction, and more and more we see that the web is becoming integral to all aspects of people's personal and social lives," said Klaassen.

Story URL: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39568096,00.htm