New Research Reveals What Britons Do Online
A new report from Nielsen//NetRatings reveals where Britons are spending the most time whilst surfing the web and using internet-related applications.
According to the Nielsen//NetRatings study, the 30.6 million Britons active online in June 2007 spent a total of 31.8 billion minutes surfing the web and using internet-related applications – an average of 17 hours 21 minutes per active Briton online.
Instant messaging accounted for most of this time – 12.7% (3.4 billion minutes), followed by member communities – 9.4% (2.6 billion minutes).
The ten most engaging categories account for 42% of all time spent by Britons surfing the web and using internet-related applications.
Alex Burmaster, European internet analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings, said: “The online sectors where Britons spend most of their time highlights the power of the internet as a tool to bring people closer together.
“Whether it’s communicating via Instant Messaging and email or networking in communities, the internet has an unrivalled ability to satisfy one of humankind’s most basic needs – the need to connect.”
| Categories accounting for the most time spent by UK Internet population – June 2007 | |||||
| Rank | Category | % Of Total Time | Total Time (Billions Of Minutes) | Time Per Person (hh:mm:ss) | Rank By Unique Audience |
| 1 | Instant Messaging | 12.70% | 3.4 | 03:10:00 | 6 |
| 2 | Member Communities | 9.40% | 2.6 | 02:19:58 | 5 |
| 3 | 7.80% | 2.1 | 01:45:38 | 4 | |
| 4 | Classifieds/Auctions | 5.10% | 1.4 | 01:33:46 | 12 |
| 5 | Games | 4.80% | 1.3 | 02:12:55 | 26 |
| 6 | Software Manufacturers | 4.40% | 1.2 | 00:55:00 | 3 |
| 7 | Search | 4.20% | 1.1 | 00:41:44 | 1 |
| 8 | General Interest Portals & Communities | 3.70% | 1 | 00:38:59 | 2 |
| 9 | Multi-category Entertainment | 3.40% | 0.9 | 00:54:21 | 9 |
| 10 | Adult | 2.60% | 0.7 | 01:26:52 | 35 |
| Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, NetView UK, home & work data, including applications, June 2007 | |||||
| E.g. Instant Messaging accounted for 12.7% (3.4 billion minutes) of all time spent by Britons online surfing the web and using Internet-related applications. The average Instant Messaging visitor averaged 3 hours 10 minutes. Overall, Instant Messaging is the 6th most popular UK category | |||||
Within the top ten, the position of the ‘Classifieds/Auctions’ category is entirely down to eBay. As a brand, eBay actually racks up more total time than all but three of the 85 categories that NetRatings covers.
Recent research from the European Interactive Advertising Association revealed that broadband adoption amongst European silver surfers (55 years and over) is growing at a faster rate than the average European internet user (see Silver Surfers Catching Up With Youth Online).
Nielsen//NetRatings: www.nielsen-netratings.com