The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Sep, 2020

    , , ,

    Frequency of reading news on social media platforms

    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
    • Half of adult Australians use social media platforms like Facebook and Google to search and read news on a daily basis (52%). A further 22% use social media weekly to access news.
    • People aged 35-54 are the heaviest consumers of news through social media, with 64% using a platform on a daily basis.
  • Jan, 2015

    Use of online media

    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

    Google

    83%

    45%

    28%

    10%

    6%

    9%

    2%

    Facebook

    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%

    Twitter

    16%

    5%

    5%

    6%

    11%

    70%

    3%

    Instagram

    19%

    8%

    5%

    6%

    9%

    70%

    3%

    Flickr

    7%

    1%

    2%

    4%

    9%

    82%

    3%

    FourSquare

    6%

    1%

    2%

    3%

    4%

    87%

    4%

    LinkedIn

    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%

    Pinterest

    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+

    Google

    83%

    81%

    85%

    86%

    83%

    79%

    Facebook

    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%

    Twitter

    16%

    22%

    12%

    27%

    15%

    4%

    Instagram

    19%

    17%

    20%

    42%

    10%

    3%

    Flickr

    7%

    8%

    5%

    15%

    3%

    FourSquare

    6%

    6%

    4%

    11%

    3%

    *

    LinkedIn

    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%

    Pinterest

    13%

    8%

    18%

    22%

    10%

    7%

    Tumblr

    7%

    7%

    6%

    15%

    5%

    *

     

  • Jan, 2015

    Opinions of social media

    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.

  • Sep, 2014

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    Concern about surveillance of social media

    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%).

  • Sep, 2014

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    Actions taken on social media

    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%).

  • Feb, 2013

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    Trust in information

    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.

  • Aug, 2012

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    Frequency of Checking Emails and Social Media

    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.

  • Aug, 2012

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    Anxiety about Checking Emails and Social Media

    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%).

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