Digital Consumers Revealed In New Research
Just over half (52%) of Britons using the internet believe online and digital technology makes their life easier, although half (50%) say that they cannot keep up with the rapid progress, according to new research from Nielsen/NetRatings.
Nielsen/NetRatings also said that there is a lot of confusion amongst consumers over what the names of things actually refer to.
By way of example, it is revealed that 69% of Britons online has never heard of Really Simple Syndication and 67% has never heard of RSS, yet 40% say they receive automatic news feeds to their browser or desktop, which is the service those terms refer to.
The Nielsen/NetRatings research reveals that the average Briton online now owns between four to five digital devices.
Around half of the UK online population knows what blogging and podcasting are, with women twice as likely as men to have never heard of blogging.
In addition, the research shows that over a third (38%) of Britons online access the web on a weekly basis using their mobile phone, whilst over a quarter (29%) now access the web weekly through their televisions.
| Most popular devices for accessing the web | ||
| Rank | Device | % of Britons online accessing web through device at least once a week |
| 1 | PC/ Laptop | 96% |
| 2 | Mobile Phone | 38% |
| 3 | TV | 29% |
| 4 | WiFi | 15% |
| 5 | Games Console | 12% |
| 6 | PDA | 8% |
Alex Burmaster, European internet analyst, said: “In the relentless quest for the next big thing when it comes to new forms of digital consumption, there is a significant tendency for the industry to over-estimate consumer’s knowledge and understanding of the seemingly limitless new terms and products out there.”
Burmaster added: “When it comes to the actual technology owned, the modern consumer is certainly well-equipped. Not only do they own an increasing variety of devices but they are also using them to access the web.
“The average Briton online uses at least two different devices every week to access the web and no longer needs to be tied to their computer to surf their favourite sites. In addition to the PC or laptop, this surfing is most likely to be done through their mobile phone or television.”