Internet boosts self-confidence - survey

"We have seen that the internet can become addictive, some of the most engaged are those people in markets where internet access has been limited - as soon as the infrastructure becomes available people make the most of it," said TNS chief development officer Matthew Froggatt.

When asked if the internet helped to improve their self-confidence, only 12 percent of French and German online users agreed, compared to 42 percent of internet users in China, 52 percent in India and 55 percent in Vietnam. "[I]n Saudi Arabia [...] almost four out of five internet users - 79 percent - feel more confident online," said the TNS statement. 47 percent of South African users agreed that the internet helped to improve their self confidence, IOL says.

According to the TNS press release, mobile broadband has been a significant catalyst in accelerating Internet access in many fast-growing markets. Whilst 36 percent of people surveyed by TNS globally said they had accessed the Internet via mobile in the past week, the figure was 49 percent in China, 53 percent in Singapore and 68 percent in South Africa. This is particularly true in Africa, where people going online in South Africa (PC - six hours per week; phone - seven hours per week), Nigeria (PC - 6 hours; phone - 11 hours), and Kenya (PC - 5 hours, phone - 6 hours), are more likely to use a mobile phone than a PC.

Read the full article on www.iol.co.za.
Read the full TNS press release (PDF).