'Desktops, laptops still popular mode of accessing Internet'

New Delhi: Even as smartphone sales grow at a double-digit pace in the country, desktops and laptops still remain the most popular mode of accessing Internet by teenagers, a survey by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) showed.

According to TCS GenZ Survey, desktops, home PCs and laptops are the most popular mode of accessing the Internet (44 percent), closely followed by smartphones (43 percent).

However, smartphones remain the most coveted electronic gadget (83 per cent) amongst teenagers in the country.

"Technology has transformed young India. The gadgets considered as luxuries earlier have swiftly become necessities making an impact on both their student and personal lives. The survey was undertaken to get a pulse of the digital habits of school students from class 8-12," the Survey said.

About 26 percent respondents said they spend at least an hour everyday online, while 27 percent said they respond to notifications within 5 minutes of receiving them.

Facebook leads the forefront in terms of usage (86 percent) followed by Google+ (65 percent). The survey found that boys are more active online and on social networking sites as compared to the girls.

Another 49 percent said their online activities are monitored by parents and 48 percent respondents said their parents have access to their online accounts.

The teenagers are also moving away from organised learning environment, towards the online learning space indicating the popularity that do-it-yourself (DIY) and collaborative learning is gaining.

About 21 percent respondents said they used video chat to learn a new hobby, followed by school assignments (20.5 percent) and educational tutorials (15 percent).

Not surprisingly, WhatsApp was rated as the most popular instant messaging platform (71 percent), distantly followed by SMS (12 percent).

However, face to face communication is still the most preferred way of communication with friends (40 percent) as compared to phone calls and social media, the survey pointed.

A majority of the teenagers (87 percent) said they shop online with electronic gadgets (57 percent) being the most popular buy, followed by books (50 percent) and clothes (37 percent).

For their dose of news, Gen Z prefers TV and newspapers (79 percent) followed by links from friends/family on Facebook (38 percent) and online sources (34 percent).