Microblogging up 62% from 2009 while Facebook sees decline
A GlobalWebIndex survey into consumer behaviour online has found that microblogging and social networking are up 62% and 40% in June 2011 compared to June 2009.
The survey, based on interviews with nearly100,000 individuals in 27 key internet markets over five separate waves of research, found that of those who microblog more than once a day, 49% link to news stories, 45% give an opinion on a product or brand, and 40% comment about an event they will be attending.
It was also found that while the total usage of Facebook was growing, markets such as the US, UK and Canada have seen large declines in terms of active participation such as status updates, sharing content, messaging and installing applications. The decline was most pronounced in the US college market.
The research also found that the way people access the internet is changing, with nearly 50% of all internet access coming from mobile, tablets and other devices.
PCs and laptops are being replaced by mobile and other devices such as tablets and TV. While 79% currently say their personal PC/ laptop is their favourite internet device, in 12 months only 42% expect to say the same as consumers plan to switch to mobile (18%), Tablet devices (19%) and TV (7%) among others.
Consumers have switched from being content creators to transmitters and distributors of other people’s information. Consumption of professional video content, films, TV and sports is high and consumers are increasingly willing to pay for access. 29% of online users globally would pay to download a TV show, film or music track.