Tashkent institute of textile and light industry Theme: Do you feel like the internet has had more of a positive or negative effect on society? Prepared: Jahongir Marayimov Accepted: Tollipova. A

Socializing Most Popular Form of Internet Activity

Among people in emerging and developing nations who have access to the internet, nearly two-thirds (a median of 66%) access it daily. And among internet users in those countries, a median of 82% use social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.  Majorities of internet users in every country surveyed say they use social networks, ranging from 93% of internet users in the Philippines to 58% in China. And while social networkers are found in all age groups, they are more likely to be under the age of 35.

Along with social networking, an equally popular use of the internet is staying in touch with friends and family. A median of 86% of internet users across the emerging and developing nations surveyed say they have used the internet this way in the past year.

While not as popular as socializing, many internet users also like to access digital information, whether it is political (a median of 54% among internet users), medical (46%) or governmental (42%). Getting online political news is particularly prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, like Tunisia (72%), Lebanon (70%) and Egypt (68%).

Utilizing the internet for career and commerce is a less popular activity. Among internet users, medians of less than four-in-ten say they look and apply for jobs (35%), make or receive payments (22%), buy products (16%) or take online classes (13%).

In certain countries, these professional and commercial online activities are more common. For example, 62% of internet users in Bangladesh and 55% in India say they have used the internet to look for or apply for a job. In China, home to internet commerce giants such as Baidu and Alibaba, 52% of internet users say they have purchased a product online in the last year.

In keeping with the socializing preference of internet users, people on social networks are apt to share information about popular culture, such as music, movies and sports.  Men are more likely than women to share sports news with their family and friends online.

Sharing information about personal views regarding religion and politics and purchases is less common. Less than four-in-ten social networkers in emerging and developing nations say they share views about products (37%), politics (34%) and religion (30%). But there is a range of interest in debating these topics online, from the 8% among social networkers in Russia and Ukraine who discuss religion to the 64% in Jordan who say the same. Similar ranges can be found for sharing views about politics and products on social networks.