Access to Social Media: Important Trends

Access to Social Media: Important Trends

Question: With the advent of technology, there has been a spurt in social media use in recent times. Discuss.

• The IAMAI/Internet and Mobile Association of India- IMRB International report on social media usage in India has found nearly half of urban social media users are located in the top 4 metros

• Use of social media in rural India has grown by 100 percent in the last year with 25 million persons accessing Twitter and FB through internet, as per a report

• Accessing social media has become the reason for embracing the Internet, the report also said

• Across India, around 143 million users of social media exist.

• Urban areas have witnessed a growth of 35% with 118 million users as on April 2015

• Number for rural India was pegged at 25 million, increasing from 12 million in the past year leading to growth of 100 percent

Facebook In Focus

• FB has emerged as the leading social media website with 96% of urban users being able to access this closely followed by Google Plus at 61%.

• Twitter (43%) is third in line and LinkedIn(24%) is fourth

• Largest segment of users were college goers(34%) followed by young men (27%)

• Schoolchildren comprised another 12%

• College students and young men constitute 60% of social media users in urban India

• Trend has become to access social media through smart and feature phones as well as tablets

• Two thirds of users access social media through mobile

• Over half the users were found to be really active on social media sites

Facts and Stats

• The number of mobile internet users is pegged by the IAMAI/IMRB report to grow to 53 million by June 2015

• Urban India has the largest percentage of users (close to 160 million)

• Total internet user base was pegged at 278 million towards the close of October 2014 and estimated to reach 354 million by June 2015

• Mobile internet users in India are expected to number 213 million by June 2015 based on growing smartphone usage.