Desktops, laptops still popular mode of accessing Internet: TCS

Even as smartphone sales grow at a double-digit pace in the country, desktops and laptops still remain the most popular mode of accessing Internet by teenagers, a survey by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) showed. According to TCS GenZ Survey, desktops, home PCs and laptops are the most popular mode of accessing the Internet (44 per cent), closely followed by smartphones (43 per cent).

However, smartphones remain the most coveted electronic gadget (83 per cent) amongst teenagers in the country.

“Technology has transformed young India. The gadgets considered as luxuries earlier have swiftly become necessities making an impact on both their student and personal lives. The survey was undertaken to get a pulse of the digital habits of school students from class 8-12,” the Survey said.

About 26 per cent respondents said they spend at least an hour everyday online, while 27 per cent said they respond to notifications within 5 minutes of receiving them.

Facebook leads the forefront in terms of usage (86 per cent) followed by Google+ (65 per cent). The survey found that boys are more active online and on social networking sites as compared to the girls.

Another 49 per cent said their online activities are monitored by parents and 48 per cent respondents said their parents have access to their online accounts.

The teenagers are also moving away from organised learning environment, towards the online learning space indicating the popularity that do-it-yourself (DIY) and collaborative learning is gaining.

About 21 per cent respondents said they used video chat to learn a new hobby, followed by school assignments (20.5 per cent) and educational tutorials (15 per cent).

Not surprisingly, WhatsApp was rated as the most popular instant messaging platform (71 per cent), distantly followed by SMS (12 per cent).

However, face to face communication is still the most preferred way of communication with friends (40 per cent) as compared to phone calls and social media, the survey pointed.

A majority of the teenagers (87 per cent) said they shop online with electronic gadgets (57 per cent) being the most popular buy, followed by books (50 per cent) and clothes (37 per cent).

For their dose of news, Gen Z prefers TV and newspapers (79 per cent) followed by links from friends/family on Facebook (38 per cent) and online sources (34 per cent).