eMarketer reports that the recession may be contributing to increasing usage of the Internet among leisure time activities.
Of course, by the same token, one could argue that the recession, which has cause many job losses, could "reduce" the percentage of "leisure time" spent online, as people would be an additional 10 hours per day of leisure.
That would equivocate to needing to spend an additional 3 hours per working day (15 hours per week) online in order to retain the 30% level that US Internet users are now at. When looking at the chart on the right, I'd be interested in hearing theories behind the 72% spike in usage from 2006 to 2007.
Internet Users Spending Even More Time on Web - eMarketer (click to read entire story)
"According to eMarketer, US adults are not world leaders in spending leisure time online. That distinction goes to Internet users in China, who spent 44% of their leisure time on the Internet in 2008, according to TNS Global. The company found that Americans ranked fifth worldwide, at 30% of leisure time spent online virtually tied with Italy (31%), Spain and Australia (29% each)." (Click Graph on Left, To Enlarge)
Of course, by the same token, one could argue that the recession, which has cause many job losses, could "reduce" the percentage of "leisure time" spent online, as people would be an additional 10 hours per day of leisure.
That would equivocate to needing to spend an additional 3 hours per working day (15 hours per week) online in order to retain the 30% level that US Internet users are now at. When looking at the chart on the right, I'd be interested in hearing theories behind the 72% spike in usage from 2006 to 2007.
Internet Users Spending Even More Time on Web - eMarketer (click to read entire story)
"According to eMarketer, US adults are not world leaders in spending leisure time online. That distinction goes to Internet users in China, who spent 44% of their leisure time on the Internet in 2008, according to TNS Global. The company found that Americans ranked fifth worldwide, at 30% of leisure time spent online virtually tied with Italy (31%), Spain and Australia (29% each)." (Click Graph on Left, To Enlarge)In a related article, from "The Guardian" in the U.K states:
The study also found that many activities which we traditionally did in our spare time are now being done online. Three-quarters of Britons have used the internet for banking in the past month and two-thirds have also paid bills online. Seventy-five per cent of British respondents had read news online in the past month, while 62% had checked the weather. More Britons (55%) had watched a video clip on sites like YouTube than had listened to audio (44%) or participated in an online auction (39%). Social networking sites had been visited by 37% of people, while 32% had downloaded music.
Seven per cent of Britons called themselves bloggers, with 16% saying they had "viewed or contributed" to a blog, compared with 88% of Chinese respondents.
The poll of more than 27,500 people in 16 countries found that housewives in the UK spend 47% of their leisure time on the web, compared with 39% for students and 32% for the unemployed. Globally, the average across all occupations was 29%.
Of the 16 nationalities surveyed, Scandinavians seemed the least inclined to while away their free time in front of the computer - Danes spent an average of 15% of their non-work hours on the net, with Swedes at 18% and Norwegians at 22%.
Arno Hummerston, managing director of 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...
The study also found that many activities which we traditionally did in our spare time are now being done online. Three-quarters of Britons have used the internet for banking in the past month and two-thirds have also paid bills online. Seventy-five per cent of British respondents had read news online in the past month, while 62% had checked the weather. More Britons (55%) had watched a video clip on sites like YouTube than had listened to audio (44%) or participated in an online auction (39%). Social networking sites had been visited by 37% of people, while 32% had downloaded music.
Seven per cent of Britons called themselves bloggers, with 16% saying they had "viewed or contributed" to a blog, compared with 88% of Chinese respondents.
The poll of more than 27,500 people in 16 countries found that housewives in the UK spend 47% of their leisure time on the web, compared with 39% for students and 32% for the unemployed. Globally, the average across all occupations was 29%.
Of the 16 nationalities surveyed, Scandinavians seemed the least inclined to while away their free time in front of the computer - Danes spent an average of 15% of their non-work hours on the net, with Swedes at 18% and Norwegians at 22%.
Arno Hummerston, managing director of 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...
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