Hooked to the Net

Admit it, you can't live without the internet. But you are not alone. As many as 8 out of 10 respondents in a YouGov survey either log on to the web several times a day or are constantly online.

The internet dominates our lives about this there is no doubt. We are attached to our e-mail accounts and rely extensively on the internet for all kinds of online research and services, whether it is on health and diet, political news, fashion or food recipes.

In the UAE, 1,384,800 people use the Net and the growth in internet subscriptions is expected to continue with plummeting charges, improving services and an emerging competitor to Etisalat.

Two weeks ago, Gulf News asked its readers in its daily poll to choose what they thought was the most important item in their daily life: the computer, mobile phone or television. The majority of the readers chose their computers, followed closely by mobile phones.

In its latest survey for Gulf News, YouGov found people are happy with the quality of service provided by Etisalat, and that they use the Net primarily as a medium for communication (chat, e-mail, VoIP and blogging). Online censorship is a talking point, but respondents are split over its acceptability.

Currently, some Dubai residents enjoy unrestricted web access in the free zones and Emaar developments.

Shopping online, while not as popular here as it is in many other places, is an attractive concept and many respondents reckon they will try it out within the next six months. But when it comes to giving out personal information online, half the respondents were reluctant to provide credit card and other information.

These are the overall conclusions of the YouGov survey, in which 779 UAE residents answered questions on their online experiences. Arab and Asian expatriates each constituted one-third of the respondents while Western expatriates made up 16 per cent of the total number.

Internet usage

As many as 8 out of 10 respondents either log on to the internet several times a day or are constantly online (either at home or in office). In terms of exact hours, the majority stay connected between 1 to 2 hours, either checking e-mails or just browsing the Net. It is evident that income has nothing to do with how much time one spends online.

Two-thirds of UAE residents say they are satisfied with their internet service provider, Etisalat. Their decision is based on many factors, including speed, cost and security. When asked to choose the most important factor, four out of 10 respondents said it was the speed of connection.

Cost in terms of connection and rental charges as well as censorship (or unrestricted access) came second. Interestingly, more Western expatriates were concerned about censorship as compared to Arab and Asian expatriates.

Surprisingly, the importance of security was rated at just 5 per cent. This is an indication of the improvement in internet security.

It is interesting to note the respondents' activities online: E-mail usage is ubiquitous for all internet users with all but one per cent choosing it as a priority. Research and information gathering proved to be the second largest driver of internet usage with almost nine out of 10 respondents using it for this purpose. This was followed closely by news searches.

When it comes to online banking, six out of 10 respondents said they used the internet, with Western expatriates dominating this category.

Chatting and online messaging

Almost half the respondents engage in online messaging, which shows it is a popular medium of communication. Three out of five people think messaging is a useful way to stay in touch with family and friends, with younger respondents more keen on this medium.

Also, half the respondents exchange thoughts and ideas through messaging and chat, with some (especially respondents aged below 21) considering it a good way to make new friends. Interestingly, only 19 per cent of Western expatriates agree with this opinion. Asian respondents were the biggest supporters with half of them agreeing that going online is a good way to make new friends.

There are, however, concerns over online chat rooms being misused by unscrupulous individuals. Three out of 10 respondents agree with this observation. Overall, people felt the benefits of chat far outweighed the disadvantages.

When it comes to blogging, more than half the respondents were supportive of blogs once it was explained to them (with only one in 10 respondents being unsupportive). This proves online users want freedom to access information and communicate without censorship.

Online shopping

Four out of 10 respondents said they never shopped online. For the rest (60 per cent), the most popular online purchase was books. This hints that the book selection in the UAE may not be satisfactory. (Worldwide, online book purchases rank seventh in terms of the most popular online shopping items.) Books were followed by music downloads, electronics and technology, and video-related purchases.

Lifestyle was another major area where online purchases were made by more than half the respondents. These purchases included clothes, health and personal goods, jewellery and watches, sports and outdoor shoes, and clothing accessories. Needless to say, women's purchases outnumbered men's in this category.

Our survey revealed that four out of 10 respondents used the Net for planning travels and hotel reservations. The higher their income, the more likely the users are to plan out their holiday on the Net.

More Western expatriates were keen on using the internet for their travel plans than Arab and Asian respondents. But when it came to music downloads, Arabs were on top with half of them using the internet for this purpose.

Internet shopping looks set to change with 56 per cent of the respondents saying they are likely to make online purchases within the next six months.

Trust

On the question of providing personal information online, there was a polarisation of opinion: 43 per cent respondents said they will, while 40 per cent said they will not.

We asked the respondents if they were comfortable giving out their credit card information. Three out of five respondents said they would not provide such information, whereas only two out five Western expatriates were apprehensive.

The number of Western expatriates who were ready to provide credit card information online was double the number among other expatriates, indicating a higher level of trust. The level of trust seemed to go up as income levels increased.

Censorship and VoIP

The subject of internet censorship was touched upon by most internet users. Often, people disagree on the extent of censorship or which subjects require it. According to our results, almost nine in 10 respondents felt the content on the internet was censored in the UAE (with one in four saying there was complete censorship).

But do they agree with it? As many as 42 per cent found internet censorship unacceptable. This figure rose considerably among Western expatriates, with 61 per cent against it. (Etisalat censors all areas except Dubai's free zones).

It was interesting to note that despite restrictions on the use of certain elements of VoIP (or Voice over Internet Protocol, which allows people to make international phone calls using computers) two in 10 respondents admitted to using the technology in some way.

As many as six out of 10 respondents said they are familiar with the term VoIP. When it was explained, an overwhelming nine out of 10 said they found it appealing. A similar number (89 per cent) said given the opportunity, they would make use of this technology if it was made available in the next six months. With the inevitable increase in awareness and improvement in technology, some say restrictions on VoIP usage will be difficult to maintain.