India has about 52 per cent of consumers who spend the least amount
of time on the Internet even as 56 per cent of them say it’s easier to
find products and services online than through friends and family,
a study by Swedish telecom gearmaker Ericsson said.
According to a
study by Ericsson ConsumerLab, 52 per cent are in the un-networked
group, one that carves out the least number of hours for the Internet.
Only one in five of the un-networked group uses the Net, and they do so
quite infrequently (less than weekly), the study pointed out. Globally,
the un networked group comprises 18 per cent of consumers.
Representational image. Reuters
The
group includes more females than males with a high representation of
40-59-year olds. The number of devices owned is the lowest, with an
average of only a single device, the study said.
However, 56 per
cent of the un-networked group in India said it is a much easier job to
find products and services on the Internet than through friends and
family. Globally, 82 per cent of consumers are moving towards
a networked lifestyle, with Netizens leading the way, the study said.
In
India, percentage of Netizens stood at 48 per cent. The data, Ericsson
said, has been gathered through 45,290 face-to-face and online
interviews with users aged 15-69 years, representing 1.2 billion people
across 24 countries including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US.
The
study examines varying perceptions of a networked lifestyle among
consumers at the opposite end of the spectrum: Netizens who own on
average at least three connected devices, use the Internet for at least
one hour a day and rely on around seven digital services daily. In
contrast, un-networked consumers own on average one device and use the
Internet no more than once a week, if at all.
The study said that
based on research in 24 countries, about 43 per cent believe that
development and a wider use of technology have helped in creating
high-quality products and services in their country.
“Forty-one
per cent state that technology has helped them reach out to more people
in the world and understand global developments, making geographical
boundaries irrelevant. Around 31 per cent mention that their buying
habits have changed a lot over the past 5 years, with most
purchases carried out online,” it added.
PTI
