Facebook, Google+, online news, Social Media
Q. How frequently do you use technology platforms like Google and Facebook to search for, and read news articles?
| Total | Age Group | |||
| 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| At least daily | 52% | 46% | 64% | 46% |
| At least once a week | 22% | 26% | 20% | 21% |
| At least once a month | 8% | 16% | 5% | 4% |
| Less frequently than one a month | 6% | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| Never | 11% | 6% | 7% | 19% |
| Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 |
Q. How often do you use the following online media –
|
Total at least once a week |
|
At least daily |
Several times a week |
About once a week |
Less often |
Never |
Can’t say |
|
|
83% |
45% |
28% |
10% |
6% |
9% |
2% |
||
|
68% |
42% |
16% |
10% |
9% |
21% |
2% |
||
| Newspaper websites |
49% |
18% |
17% |
14% |
21% |
27% |
3% |
|
| Other news websites |
44% |
13% |
17% |
14% |
20% |
32% |
4% |
|
| Blogs |
20% |
3% |
7% |
10% |
19% |
59% |
3% |
|
| Websites about social and political campaigns |
13% |
1% |
5% |
7% |
21% |
61% |
4% |
|
|
16% |
5% |
5% |
6% |
11% |
70% |
3% |
||
|
19% |
8% |
5% |
6% |
9% |
70% |
3% |
||
| Flickr |
7% |
1% |
2% |
4% |
9% |
82% |
3% |
|
| FourSquare |
6% |
1% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
87% |
4% |
|
|
15% |
2% |
5% |
8% |
17% |
65% |
3% |
||
| MySpace |
5% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
5% |
87% |
3% |
|
| YouTube |
54% |
9% |
24% |
21% |
25% |
18% |
2% |
|
| Google+ |
21% |
5% |
8% |
8% |
17% |
58% |
4% |
|
|
13% |
2% |
4% |
7% |
15% |
69% |
3% |
||
| Tumblr |
7% |
1% |
3% |
3% |
8% |
82% |
3% |
The most used online media were Google (83% at least once a week), Facebook (68%), Youtube (54%), Newspaper websites (49%) and other news websites (44%).
Men were heavier users of Twitter (22%), LinkedIn (20%) and Youtube (60%).
Women were heavier users of Facebook (72%) and Pinterest (18%).
|
Total at least once a week |
|
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
|
83% |
81% |
85% |
86% |
83% |
79% |
||
|
68% |
65% |
72% |
81% |
67% |
57% |
||
| Newspaper websites |
49% |
51% |
47% |
50% |
52% |
41% |
|
| Other news websites |
44% |
43% |
45% |
46% |
45% |
42% |
|
| Blogs |
20% |
20% |
20% |
29% |
17% |
9% |
|
| Websites about social and political campaigns |
13% |
16% |
11% |
21% |
12% |
10% |
|
|
16% |
22% |
12% |
27% |
15% |
4% |
||
|
19% |
17% |
20% |
42% |
10% |
3% |
||
| Flickr |
7% |
8% |
5% |
15% |
3% |
– |
|
| FourSquare |
6% |
6% |
4% |
11% |
3% |
* |
|
|
15% |
20% |
12% |
18% |
19% |
7% |
||
| MySpace |
5% |
5% |
4% |
10% |
3% |
* |
|
| YouTube |
54% |
60% |
50% |
74% |
52% |
37% |
|
| Google+ |
21% |
21% |
20% |
20% |
21% |
21% |
|
|
13% |
8% |
18% |
22% |
10% |
7% |
||
| Tumblr |
7% |
7% |
6% |
15% |
5% |
* |
Q. For each of the statements about social media (like facebook, twitter) below, please indicate whether you agree or disagree
|
Total agree |
Total disagree |
|
Strongly agree |
Agree |
Disagree |
Strongly disagree |
Don’t know |
|
| Online social media are a good way to have your say on political issues |
46% |
37% |
5% |
41% |
23% |
14% |
17% |
|
| Online social media can get people interested in political affairs |
50% |
29% |
5% |
45% |
19% |
10% |
21% |
|
| Most people spend too much time on social media at the expense of other activities |
80% |
9% |
36% |
44% |
7% |
2% |
10% |
|
| Online social media is a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs |
48% |
36% |
5% |
43% |
23% |
13% |
16% |
|
| I frequently share things of interest on social media |
35% |
59% |
6% |
29% |
29% |
30% |
6% |
A large majority (80%) agreed that “Most people spend too much time on social media at the expense of other activities”.
However, respondents were also more likely to agree that online social media can get people interested in political affairs (50%), is a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs (48%) and are a good way to have your say on political issues 46%).
35% agree that they frequently share things of interest on social media.
privacy, Social Media, surveillance
Q. How concerned are you about privacy and surveillance of social media?
|
Total |
|
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| Total concerned |
71% |
69% |
73% |
76% |
71% |
65% |
|
| Total not concerned |
25% |
27% |
24% |
20% |
26% |
35% |
|
| Very concerned |
28% |
27% |
29% |
31% |
27% |
26% |
|
| Somewhat concerned |
43% |
42% |
44% |
45% |
43% |
39% |
|
| Not very concerned |
19% |
19% |
19% |
16% |
18% |
28% |
|
| Not at all concerned |
6% |
8% |
5% |
4% |
8% |
7% |
|
| Don’t know |
3% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
3% |
– |
(based on the 74% of respondents who use social media)
71% of social media users were concerned about privacy and surveillance of social media.
Those most likely to be concerned were aged under 35 (76%) and university educated (77%).
privacy, Social Media, surveillance
Q. Have you taken any of the following actions in that last 12 months because of concerns about privacy and surveillance of social media?
|
Total |
|
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| Increased my security settings |
55% |
50% |
58% |
60% |
55% |
46% |
|
| Changed the types of things I say or put up on social media |
49% |
47% |
51% |
59% |
44% |
42% |
|
| Removed information about myself |
41% |
38% |
43% |
51% |
38% |
28% |
|
| Cut back my list of friends or people I follow |
39% |
36% |
41% |
48% |
36% |
27% |
|
| Taken other actions |
20% |
20% |
20% |
25% |
18% |
16% |
(based on the 74% of respondents who use social media)
A majority had taken some form of action in the last 12 months because of concerns about privacy and surveillance of social media. The most common actions taken were increasing security settings (55%) and changing the types of things said or put up on social media (49%).
25 February 2013, 250213, family and friends, Newspapers, radio news, Social Media, TV news
Q. How much trust do you have in the following for information on major public issues like immigration, climate change or the economy?
|
A lot of trust |
Some trust |
Not much trust |
No trust at all |
Don’t know |
Don’t use |
|
| What I see on TV news and current affairs |
5% |
50% |
30% |
11% |
3% |
1% |
| What I hear on radio news and current affairs |
5% |
51% |
30% |
8% |
3% |
4% |
| What I hear on radio talkback |
5% |
35% |
31% |
17% |
3% |
9% |
| What I read in newspapers or online news sites |
5% |
51% |
32% |
8% |
2% |
2% |
| What politicians say |
1% |
12% |
39% |
43% |
3% |
2% |
| What I see online on blogs and social media |
2% |
20% |
39% |
22% |
5% |
11% |
| What I hear from friends and family |
10% |
53% |
26% |
6% |
5% |
1% |
| What I hear in my workplace |
3% |
37% |
34% |
10% |
4% |
11% |
| What I learn from my own research |
35% |
50% |
6% |
2% |
2% |
4% |
|
Total lot/some of trust |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| What I see on TV news and current affairs |
55% |
54% |
59% |
40% |
| What I hear on radio news and current affairs |
56% |
53% |
61% |
34% |
| What I hear on radio talkback |
40% |
34% |
46% |
26% |
| What I read in newspapers or online news sites |
56% |
59% |
58% |
48% |
| What politicians say |
13% |
21% |
8% |
14% |
| What I see online on blogs and social media |
22% |
23% |
23% |
24% |
| What I hear from friends and family |
63% |
58% |
66% |
63% |
| What I hear in my workplace |
40% |
39% |
43% |
42% |
| What I learn from my own research |
85% |
86% |
86% |
83% |
85% have a lot or some trust in what they learn from their own research, 63% in what they hear from friends and family, 56% in newspapers and radio and 55% in TV news and current affairs. Only 13% have a lot or some trust in what they hear from politicians and 22% have a lot/some trust in blogs and social media.
Labor voters tend to have a little more trust in newspapers while Liberal/National voters have a little more trust in radio and TV news and current affairs. Liberal/National voters also have above-average trust in radio talkback.
13 August 2012, 130812, mobile phone calls, personal email, Social Media, technologies, text messages, voice mail, work email
Q. How often do you check any of the following technologies?
|
At least once every 15 minutes |
At least once an hour |
Every few hours |
At least once a day |
Less often |
Don’t know |
Don’t use |
|
| Text messages |
7% |
16% |
28% |
27% |
13% |
2% |
7% |
| Mobile phone calls |
7% |
16% |
28% |
28% |
14% |
2% |
5% |
| Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) |
3% |
10% |
16% |
27% |
21% |
* |
23% |
| Personal e-mail |
6% |
13% |
29% |
45% |
6% |
* |
1% |
| Work email |
12% |
14% |
15% |
14% |
5% |
* |
39% |
| Voice mail |
3% |
5% |
9% |
15% |
29% |
2% |
38% |
|
Total at least once every 15 minutes |
Aged 18-24 |
Aged 25-34 |
|
| Text messages |
7% |
19% |
11% |
| Mobile phone calls |
7% |
13% |
10% |
| Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) |
3% |
9% |
7% |
| Personal e-mail |
6% |
10% |
12% |
| Work email |
12% |
11% |
22% |
| Voice mail |
3% |
1% |
7% |
|
Total at least once an hour |
Aged 18-24 |
Aged 25-34 |
|
| Text messages |
23% |
59% |
33% |
| Mobile phone calls |
23% |
46% |
34% |
| Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) |
13% |
42% |
24% |
| Personal e-mail |
19% |
33% |
29% |
| Work email |
26% |
30% |
42% |
| Voice mail |
8% |
10% |
13% |
12% say they check work emails ever 15 minutes and 26% check them at least once an hour. 23% check text messages and mobile phone calls at least once an hour.
Respondents aged under 35 were by far the most frequent users of mobile phones and social media.
19% of those aged 18-24 check their text messages and 13% check their mobile phone calls at least once every 15 minutes.
22% of those aged 25-34 check their work emails at least every 15 minutes.
At least every hour, 59% of those aged 18-24 check their text messages, 46% check their mobile phone calls and 42% check social media.
13 August 2012, 130812, anxious, checking emails, Facebook, Social Media, technology addiction, Twitter
Q. If you can’t check the following every 15 minutes do you get anxious?
|
Total |
Aged 18-24 |
Aged 25-34 |
|
| Text messages |
9% |
18% |
15% |
| Mobile phone calls |
8% |
11% |
16% |
| Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) |
6% |
8% |
13% |
| Personal e-mail |
7% |
6% |
15% |
| Work email |
8% |
6% |
14% |
| Voice mail |
4% |
– |
11% |
9% say they get anxious if they can’t check their text messages every 15 minutes and 8% get anxious about mobile phone calls and work emails.
18% of those aged 18-24 get anxious about checking text messages every 15 minutes but are less concerned about social media and emails.
More than one in ten people aged 25-34 get anxious about checking each media every 15 minutes – especially mobile phone calls (16%), text messages (15%) and personal emails (15%).