SA’s millennials on wrong side of digital divide
by Staff Writer,
2016-02-22 19:04:31.0
SOUTH African millennials are falling behind the curve in technology adoption, one of the defining factors of 21-century human progress, a new survey shows.
The Washington-based Pew Research Center survey released on Monday shows South African millennials are now among those least likely in large emerging economies to use the internet and own a smartphone, mostly because of poverty.
The survey, Smartphone Ownership and Internet Usage Continues to Climb in Emerging Economies, shows that in the 40 countries surveyed the percentage of people in emerging and developing nations who use the internet and own a smartphone — defined as a cellphone that can access the internet and apps — has risen noticeably over the past two years.
In 2013‚ a median of 45% across 21 emerging and developing countries reported using the internet at least occasionally or owning a smartphone. In 2015‚ that figure rose to 54%. Much of that increase came from large emerging economies‚ including Malaysia‚ Brazil and China.
Smartphone ownership rates in emerging and developing nations are also rising fast — up from a median of 21% in 2013 to 37% in 2015.
Millennials (aged 18 to 34) are much more likely to be internet or smartphone users compared with those aged 35 and older‚ the research also shows.
However‚ in several large emerging economies — notably SA‚ Nigeria and India — Pew says fewer than six in ten millennials have access to the internet.
"People with higher incomes are more likely to say that they use the internet occasionally or own a smartphone. These in-country gaps by income are less uniformly distributed across richer or poorer nations. For example‚ the largest income gaps occur in a diverse set of countries including Lebanon (51-point gap between higher and lower income)‚ Peru (+40)‚ Japan (+35)‚ SA (+35)‚ Brazil (+34)‚ Malaysia (+33)‚ Italy (+30)‚ Russia (+30) and Jordan (+30)."
Of the 40 countries surveyed‚ South Korea stands out as the country with the highest smartphone ownership rate‚ with 88% of respondents saying they own one. The countries with the lowest smartphone ownership rates are also among the poorest: Tanzania (11%)‚ Uganda (4%) and Ethiopia (4%).
Once online‚ 76% of internet users across the 40 countries surveyed use social networking sites‚ such as Facebook and Twitter‚ Pew says.
Internet users in many emerging and developing countries are more likely to use these sites compared with those in more advanced nations.
Roughly three-quarters or more of internet users in the Middle East (86%)‚ Latin America (82%) and Africa (76%) say they use social networks‚ compared with 71% in the US and 65% across six European nations.
TMG Digital
In several large emerging economies — notably SA‚ Nigeria and India — Pew says fewer than six in ten millennials have access to the internet. Picture: THE TIMES
SOUTH African millennials are falling behind the curve in technology adoption, one of the defining factors of 21-century human progress, a new survey shows.
The Washington-based Pew Research Center survey released on Monday shows South African millennials are now among those least likely in large emerging economies to use the internet and own a smartphone, mostly because of poverty.
The survey, Smartphone Ownership and Internet Usage Continues to Climb in Emerging Economies, shows that in the 40 countries surveyed the percentage of people in emerging and developing nations who use the internet and own a smartphone — defined as a cellphone that can access the internet and apps — has risen noticeably over the past two years.
In 2013‚ a median of 45% across 21 emerging and developing countries reported using the internet at least occasionally or owning a smartphone. In 2015‚ that figure rose to 54%. Much of that increase came from large emerging economies‚ including Malaysia‚ Brazil and China.
Smartphone ownership rates in emerging and developing nations are also rising fast — up from a median of 21% in 2013 to 37% in 2015.
Millennials (aged 18 to 34) are much more likely to be internet or smartphone users compared with those aged 35 and older‚ the research also shows.
However‚ in several large emerging economies — notably SA‚ Nigeria and India — Pew says fewer than six in ten millennials have access to the internet.
"People with higher incomes are more likely to say that they use the internet occasionally or own a smartphone. These in-country gaps by income are less uniformly distributed across richer or poorer nations. For example‚ the largest income gaps occur in a diverse set of countries including Lebanon (51-point gap between higher and lower income)‚ Peru (+40)‚ Japan (+35)‚ SA (+35)‚ Brazil (+34)‚ Malaysia (+33)‚ Italy (+30)‚ Russia (+30) and Jordan (+30)."
Of the 40 countries surveyed‚ South Korea stands out as the country with the highest smartphone ownership rate‚ with 88% of respondents saying they own one. The countries with the lowest smartphone ownership rates are also among the poorest: Tanzania (11%)‚ Uganda (4%) and Ethiopia (4%).
Once online‚ 76% of internet users across the 40 countries surveyed use social networking sites‚ such as Facebook and Twitter‚ Pew says.
Internet users in many emerging and developing countries are more likely to use these sites compared with those in more advanced nations.
Roughly three-quarters or more of internet users in the Middle East (86%)‚ Latin America (82%) and Africa (76%) say they use social networks‚ compared with 71% in the US and 65% across six European nations.
TMG Digital
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