Whether on a smartphone, PC or tablet: we have access to the Internet everywhere – and that has now had a significant impact on our society. Hardly any aspect of our life can do without digital services and tools. The average German spends more time online than ever before. Streaming, shopping and the like are popular activities, but many use their web time in completely different ways.
Online for work and leisure
The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life and more than 65 million people in Germany use it regularly – but what do they spend most of their time doing there? Some market researchers have looked into this and the results may come as a surprise. The top candidates therefore include:
- Job search and online applications
- Internet telephony and video conferencing
- Online games
- messengers and chat rooms
- Music and Movie Streaming
- Online-Banking
- Shopping
Incidentally, the undefeated leader among web-enabled applications is the e-mail program. But that too online game is enjoying growing popularity. Since 2021, licensed gaming providers have been allowed to make their services accessible to customers from all over Germany. Due to this change and the corona pandemic, many have switched from the physical casino to the PC. Regardless of this, however, further growth can be expected in this sector.
The search for new jobs has gradually shifted to the internet over the past few years. Many well-known companies only recruit new employees via relevant job platforms and social media channels.
What is surprising, however, is that a large proportion of Germans now do their banking from their computer or smartphone. In general, Germans consider themselves to be rather conservative when it comes to financial issues. The one from the Statista survey The established popularity of messenger and streaming services should hardly come as a surprise.
Almost a third of life online
Virtually all surveys of active Internet users agree: people in Germany surf more than ever before. The number of online minutes is growing every year and even older students have long since discovered the advantages of the digital world for themselves. A close one third of his life should the German spend online. The widespread use of mobile devices probably plays a significant role here.
However, the most active users are still those under 30 years of age. For children and young people, the Internet is a matter of course and exchange via messenger and social media has established itself as an integral part of youth culture.
From a regional perspective, there are sometimes bizarre differences in user behavior. When surfing, many people don’t necessarily sit at their desks or in the living room. In surveys, users from Bavaria and Saxony stated, for example, that they prefer to be online in the bathroom.
How the pandemic is affecting online behavior
Social distancing and various lockdowns have caused even more people to switch to digital communication channels. Getting together in a social setting via video conference suddenly became quite normal.
Due to the increased use, experts assume that trust in the technologies has been strengthened. Numerous activities for which one would normally have met with other people have increasingly shifted to the Internet.
Instead of meeting up with friends over a leisurely round of poker, you gamble online together. But more and more people prefer to shop on a website rather than in retail. On the one hand, this is due to the corona protection measures and, on the other hand, to the advantages of shopping at the click of a mouse.
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