- Finding information and keeping in touch with family and friends are the main reasons why people connect to the Internet.
- There are differences between age groups in terms of the motivations for which Internet users access the web.
Why do people connect to the Internet?
The reasons why more than 5.5 billion Internet users around the world connect to the Internet are extremely varied.
According to the Digital 25 report, the primary reason people access the Internet is to find information, as acknowledged by 62.8% of the population.
The next reason, cited by 60.2% of users, is to keep in touch with family or friends.
Fifty-five per cent of the population wants to keep up to date with events and news, a very similar percentage (54.7% to be precise) to those who do so for the audiovisual consumption of videos, series or films.
The next reason why people connect to the internet is to research how to develop or do certain things, with 51.1%.
Below that, with 46.9% and 46.7% respectively, are those who connect to find inspiration or new ideas and those who simply want to listen to music.
The next reasons are to fill free time and browse on the one hand, and to research brands and products on the other, both with 45.2%.
Slightly below 40%—specifically, 38.9% and 38.7%—are those who browse to research travel and holiday-related issues on the one hand, and to search for academic or educational information on the other.
35.9% of those who use the Internet do so for the purpose of managing their savings or financial matters, slightly above the 35.4% who search for issues related to health or healthcare products.
Less than a third of those who connect to the Internet do so to play online games (30.4%), three tenths of a percentage point above those who do so to research business-related issues (30.1%).
What are the reasons why people connect to the Internet by age group?
If we break down this information on Internet use by different age groups, we find certain similarities, but also differences. The groups analysed are 16 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64 and over 65.
Similarities between 16 and 34 years old
In the blocks covering 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 years old, the three main reasons are the same: contact with family and friends, finding information, and watching videos.
However, there are differences in the percentage dedicated to each block: while the percentage of these reasons, in the order mentioned above, is 62.1%, 61.1% and 59.3%, in the 25 to 34 age group it is slightly lower: 58.7%, 58.5% and 56.2%.
Similar reasons among those aged 34 to 65
In the following four age groups analysed (35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and over 65), there is agreement on the three main reasons, although in different order in the second and third.
Therefore, the first reason is the same in all cases: finding information, a percentage that increases from 62.1% in the 35-44 age group to 81.7% in the over-65s, passing through 65.2% and 68.1% respectively in the 45-54 and 55-64 age groups.
The second reason is the same among those aged 35 to 54, although with different percentages (62.1% and 65.2%) in both age groups: keeping in touch with family and friends.
This reason is the third most common for the older age groups (55 to 64 and 65 and over), with 61.1% and 62.7%.
On the other hand, the third reason among those aged 35 to 54 is the second among those aged 55 and over: following news and events. The percentage also increases with age: 56.3% in the first group, 58.9% in the second, 61.2% in the third and 66.9% in the third.
