SYDNEY: Average internet usage has soared by almost 10% in the past year to a record 17.6 hours per week, according to a study.
In 2009, the average Australian increased their internet usage by 28.5% from 2007 levels and 9% from 2008, according to Nielsen's 2010 Internet & Technology Report, released today (1 March).
The heaviest users of the internet were aged 16 to 29 years and spent 22.0 hours per week online, compared to 30 to 49-year-olds who averaged 18.2 hours per week and the over-50s who spent an average of 15.5 hours online per week.
However, the increases in Internet usage have not been at the expense of other forms of media, according to Nielsen, and Australians continue to spend a significant amount of time multitasking media.
Overall, 49% of internet users multitask television and the internet at the same time, and 39% multitask radio and the internet. Despite OzTAM ratings recording a decrease in television viewing time in 2009, Nielsen’s report on internet users’ media habits found television viewing was up by 30 minutes to 13.4 hours. Internet users aged over 50 now spend almost as much time online as they do watching television.
Nielsen online managing director Matt Bruce said: “Changes to the Australian media landscape in recent years such as the introduction of Freeview TV, digital radio and personal video recorder/digital video recorder mean consumers have more options and flexibility in their media choices than ever before,”
Male internet users spent more time online than their female counterparts – 19.2 hours versus 16.1 hours per week respectively. Metropolitan internet users also spend more time online than those in regional and rural areas and, in metropolitan areas, the internet is now equal with television as the preferred "main source of news".
Nielsen Online’s Internet & Technology Report is based on 2371 responses from both internet users and non-users via online surveys and telephone interviews and the data forms a random stratified sample representative of Australia by state, age and gender.
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