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• Facebook monopolises New Zealand's online social networking landscape (09/12/2011)
  
• The internet: more time on it, more mobile, less secret (17/11/2010)
• Full survey 2009

Facebook monopolises New Zealand's online social networking landscape

09 December 2011

Facebook has captured the hearts (and time) of Kiwis while MySpace has disappeared off our radars completely.

In 2009, 74 per cent of those with a membership to a social networking site said they used Facebook the most often. This figure has jumped to 96 per cent in 2011, the latest World Internet Project New Zealand survey has discovered.

With 'Facebook' being the second most searched item on Google New Zealand in 2011*, it is no wonder New Zealanders are using it more than ever before.

The third bi-annual World Internet Project (WIP) New Zealand survey of more than 1200 New Zealanders has found that overall levels of Internet use continue to increase. Eighty six per cent of New Zealanders are now online, up from 79 per cent in 2007 and 83 per cent in 2009.

Director of AUT’s Institute of Culture, Discourse and Communication and WIP director Professor Allan Bell says that the growth in broadband is another striking change between 2007 and 2011.

“91 per cent of users now have a broadband connection at home. The trajectory from 67 per cent in 2007 to 84 per cent in 2009 has continued but is now easing as we approach saturation. We are finally bringing New Zealand close to other comparable countries on an important measure where it once lagged.”

The survey findings have also shown an increased popularity in the use of smartphones and other handheld wireless devices with usage having risen from 7 per cent in 2007 to 27 per cent of Internet users in 2011.

The influence of wireless networking has also contributed to a change in where the Internet is used in the home, with 54 per cent of users now accessing the Internet mostly from communal areas of their home, up from 36 per cent in 2007.

“These changes illustrate the increasing embeddedness of the Internet in everyday home life. More and more New Zealanders (58 per cent) also affirm the overall importance of the Internet to their daily lives,” says Professor Bell.

Of those still not using the Internet, reasons vary from not finding it interesting to not feeling confident using the technology.  A surprisingly small number of respondents say financial constraints are their main reason.

With three surveys completed, Professor Bell says the reports are now more than ever able to map Internet use in New Zealand and identify trends that can be used to inform government and business decision-making.

New Zealand is one of 30 countries involved in the World Internet Project – a longitudinal study that enables comparisons of Internet use across countries. AUT University, with funding from the National Library of New Zealand and from Internet NZ, conducted its first survey in 2007, the second in 2009 and the most recent in 2011.

Highlights of the 2011 New Zealand World Internet Project

• Use of the Internet in New Zealand has continued to rise reaching 86 per cent in 2011, up from 79 per cent in 2007 and 83 per cent in 2009
• 69% of respondents rated the Internet as an important source of information ahead of television, newspapers, radio and other people.
• 58% of New Zealanders feel the Internet is important or very important in their everyday lives
• 40% of Internet users look up the definition of a word every week
• 59% surf the web daily
• Māori, Pasifika and Asian ethnicities are more likely to ‘make friends’ online than NZ Europeans
• 64 % of Internet users say they belong to a Social Networking Site (SNS)
• More females (68% of those that use the Internet) use Social Networking Sites  than males (59%)
• SNS membership is highly stratified by age, attracting 87% of under-30s but only 34% of over-60s
• Of those with a SNS membership, 96% say Facebook is the site they use the most
• 72% of Internet users buy things online
• Almost half (48%) say they use the Internet to sell things
• 58% of Internet users log onto their Internet banking accounts at least once a week

*According to Google’s annual Zeitgeist lists: the year’s hottest search terms on google.co.nz.

 World Internet Project New Zealand 2011 (55 pages, 1.53MB)

The internet: more time on it, more mobile, less secret

The internet is moving out from behind closed doors in homes to communal places like lounges and kitchens the latest World Internet Project figures report.

•  World Internet Project comparison report 2007-2009 (17 pages, 923 KB)

The second bi-annual survey of more than 1200 New Zealanders shows the internet is increasingly moving into open spaces in the house. The percentage of people who use the internet mainly in living areas (including lounge, kitchen, dining room) rose from 33% in 2007 to 45% in 2009.

The report which compares data collected in 2007 and the most recent data collected in late 2009 investigates New Zealanders’ usage of and attitudes towards the internet.

“The increasing shift of Internet use out of the back rooms and into the household living space makes for a whole new dynamic surrounding the net,” says the Director of AUT’s Institute of Culture, Discourse and Communication, Professor Allan Bell.

“It puts the Internet right at hand, so people can check a fact or book an event on their laptops without stirring. We’re also using the internet more and more and for different reasons now,” Professor Bell says.

New Zealand Internet trend highlights from 2007 vs 2009 surveys

• Usage has increased for all ethnicities. The greatest increases were for Maori and Pasifika peoples although they still remain the lowest using groups. Maori users rose by 8% and Pasifika users increased by 13%. Asians remain the biggest user group and significantly so
• Although the digital divide is lessening in terms of ethnicity the same can’t be said for the proportion of internet users according to household income. It appears the more you earn the more you use
• Rural and smaller towns are also getting better connected. The proportion of those in minor towns with broadband access at home showed a significant increase from 51% in 2007 to 79% in 2009. Broadband use also rose steeply in rural areas from 45% to 67%
• The greatest increases in broadband connectivity are for older users, particularly those 70 and above rising from 41% in 2007 to 65% in 2009
• Telecom still continues to be the ISP of choice for most internet users in both surveys. Although Telstraclear and Vodafone have increased their market share from 10% to 16% and 6% to 9% respectively, it seems the shift has been more from other providers than from Telecom
• Relatively few users access the internet from a mobile device but even so this has increased from 7% to 18%. The change is most marked for those with a household income over $100,000. Significant growth in mobile access was found for all age groups under 60. The greatest growth was for those aged 20-29
• Checking email is one of the most frequent online activities. People who check their email once or more each day increased from 77% to 82%
  

Background

New Zealand is one of 30 countries involved in the World Internet Project – a longitudinal study that enables comparisons of Internet use across countries.

AUT University, with support from the National Library of New Zealand and from InternetNZ, conducted its first survey in 2007, with the most recent data deriving from interviews in 2009.  

Full survey 2009

The second full survey was conducted in August - September 2009. It questioned a sample of 1250 New Zealanders about their usage of, and attitudes towards, the Internet.

Analysis focused on the social, political and economic impact of the Internet in New Zealand.

• View the Internet in New Zealand 2009 report  (72 pages/1.5MB)

Note: The 2009 Report is based on a sample of respondents aged 12 years old and over. The 2007 Report was based on a sample aged 16 years and over. For this reason, direct comparison between the figures in the 2007 and 2009 Reports is not recommended.

To order a printed copy of the Final Report please contact kristie.elphick@aut.ac.nz

• Executive Summary of the Internet in New Zealand 2009 report (3 pages/1.7MB)
• Media Release March 2010 (2 pages/445KB)

The Internet has changed how business and trade deals are made; how schools and other academic institutions, councils, media and advertisers operate.

The Internet also impacts on family interaction, the ways in which people form new friendships, and the communities to which people belong. 

The World Internet Project New Zealand (WIP NZ) is an extensive research project, operating since 2007, which aims to provide important information about the social, cultural, political and economic influence of the Internet and related digital technologies.

As part of the World Internet Project International, an international collaborative research effort, the WIP NZ enables valid and rigorous comparison between New Zealand and 30 other countries around the world. Each partner country in the WIP shares a set of 30 common questions.

ICDC’s longitudinal survey includes a cross-section of participants aged 12 and up across New Zealand. Targeted sampling ensures that ethnic groups and age ranges are not under-represented.

The survey investigates Internet access and targets Internet users as well as non-users. It takes into account what they do online and considers off-line activities such as how much time is spent with friends and family.

Other questions address the effects of the Internet on language use; social, cultural and educational development and the role of the Internet in accessing information or purchasing products.

In addition to studying the impact of the Internet, the survey tracks the effectiveness of strategies to address issues such as the digital divide between rich and poor; urban and rural.

More specific topics such as the impact of social networking are examined in detail in a new related study; the Internet and Society Panel Project.

Supporting project sponsors:

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