世論 What Japan Thinks

Recently, goo Research conducted a very thorough survey into media consumption in Japan, covering both the old and new media.

Demographics

Between the 2nd and 4th of June 2010 1,561 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.5% of the sample were male, 16.1% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.4% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.8% in their fifties, and 12.4% aged sixty or older.

I’m surprised at the number who surf while watching television! I very rarely do so, perhaps because I can’t handle Japanese television as a background task because I need to use too much brain to follow the Japanese, especially as I often need to read the ever-present subtitles to help my understanding. Furthermore, even though television is a passive task, being married I think it is ignoring my spouse to some degree, and anyway it’s difficult to type with one arm round her shoulder…

Research results

Q1: How often per week do you use the following types of media? (Sample size=1,561)

Television

Every day	87.5%
Six days a week	1.7%
Five days a week	2.1%
Four days a week	1.2%
Three days a week	1.7%
Two days a week	1.7%
One day a week	1.1%
Less than that	1.4%
Not at all	1.7%

Newspapers

Every day	52.7%
Six days a week	2.0%
Five days a week	3.4%
Four days a week	1.5%
Three days a week	3.2%
Two days a week	2.5%
One day a week	3.8%
Less than that	9.5%
Not at all	21.5%

Radio

Every day	14.2%
Six days a week	1.6%
Five days a week	6.0%
Four days a week	2.4%
Three days a week	3.8%
Two days a week	4.6%
One day a week	6.2%
Less than that	19.5%
Not at all	41.7%

Magazines

Every day	2.9%
Six days a week	0.5%
Five days a week	1.5%
Four days a week	1.9%
Three days a week	6.1%
Two days a week	7.8%
One day a week	15.4%
Less than that	38.6%
Not at all	25.2%

Internet from computer

Every day	87.8%
Six days a week	3.7%
Five days a week	3.5%
Four days a week	1.5%
Three days a week	1.8%
Two days a week	0.6%
One day a week	0.8%
Less than that	0.4%
Not at all	0.0%

Internet from mobile phone

Every day	27.3%
Six days a week	1.8%
Five days a week	2.9%
Four days a week	1.6%
Three days a week	4.0%
Two days a week	3.0%
One day a week	5.3%
Less than that	16.8%
Not at all	37.3%

Internet from smartphone

Every day	3.3%
Six days a week	0.3%
Five days a week	0.4%
Four days a week	0.4%
Three days a week	0.5%
Two days a week	0.8%
One day a week	0.5%
Less than that	0.6%
Not at all	93.1%

By sex, daily PC internet usage was higher than daily television watching for men, but the opposite for women. Interestingly, for both men and women daily use of either media increased with age.

Q2: How long per day do you use the following types of media? (Sample size=1,561)

Television

Less than 10 minutes	1.9%
Less than 20 minutes	1.1%
Less than 30 minutes	4.9%
Less than an hour	12.9%
Less than two hours	26.0%
Less than three hours	18.7%
Less than four hours	13.1%
Less than five hours	11.3%
Less than eight hours	5.1%
Less than ten hours	1.5%
Over 10 hours	1.7%
Don’t use at all	1.7%

Newspapers

Less than 10 minutes	23.4%
Less than 20 minutes	14.0%
Less than 30 minutes	21.1%
Less than an hour	16.8%
Less than two hours	2.8%
Less than three hours	0.3%
Less than four hours	0.1%
Less than five hours	0.0%
Less than eight hours	0.0%
Less than ten hours	0.0%
Over 10 hours	0.0%
Don’t use at all	21.5%

Radio

Less than 10 minutes	19.9%
Less than 20 minutes	4.0%
Less than 30 minutes	10.1%
Less than an hour	11.5%
Less than two hours	6.1%
Less than three hours	2.6%
Less than four hours	1.0%
Less than five hours	1.5%
Less than eight hours	1.1%
Less than ten hours	0.5%
Over 10 hours	0.2%
Don’t use at all	41.7%

Magazines

Less than 10 minutes	32.3%
Less than 20 minutes	9.1%
Less than 30 minutes	15.6%
Less than an hour	13.8%
Less than two hours	2.8%
Less than three hours	0.2%
Less than four hours	0.2%
Less than five hours	0.0%
Less than eight hours	0.0%
Less than ten hours	0.0%
Over 10 hours	0.0%
Don’t use at all	25.2%

Internet from computer

Less than 10 minutes	1.1%
Less than 20 minutes	1.5%
Less than 30 minutes	4.2%
Less than an hour	15.2%
Less than two hours	27.5%
Less than three hours	19.7%
Less than four hours	10.8%
Less than five hours	9.2%
Less than eight hours	5.3%
Less than ten hours	1.9%
Over 10 hours	3.5%
Don’t use at all	0.0%

Internet from mobile phone

Less than 10 minutes	28.4%
Less than 20 minutes	5.9%
Less than 30 minutes	9.2%
Less than an hour	8.3%
Less than two hours	5.4%
Less than three hours	2.8%
Less than four hours	1.1%
Less than five hours	1.0%
Less than eight hours	0.3%
Less than ten hours	0.0%
Over 10 hours	0.3%
Don’t use at all	37.3%

Internet from smartphone

Less than 10 minutes	1.7%
Less than 20 minutes	0.8%
Less than 30 minutes	1.2%
Less than an hour	1.5%
Less than two hours	0.6%
Less than three hours	0.6%
Less than four hours	0.3%
Less than five hours	0.1%
Less than eight hours	0.2%
Less than ten hours	0.0%
Over 10 hours	0.1%
Don’t use at all	93.1%

By age and sex, the biggest PC internet addicts were women in their twenties, with 25.9% being online for over four hours per day, followed by men in their forties with 23.1%, then women in their fifties with 22.5%. The least addicted were women in their teens, with only 13.6% managing four or more hours per day. The figures were reversed for mobile phone internet, with 51.6% online for over a hour per day, followed by 29.0% of women in their twenties, then 26.2% of teenage boys. Under 2% of men in their forties and fities, and none in their sixties, managed an hour online.

Q3: Do you tend to surf the internet or check email on your computer while watching television? (Sample size=1,535)

Yes, always	36.5%
Yes, often	27.6%
Can’t say	5.0%
Not really	7.9%
Not at all	23.1%

70.7% of men in their twenties and 69.3% of men in their thirties tended to be on the internet as they watched television.

Q4: Do you tend to surf the internet or check email on your mobile phone while watching television? (Sample size=966)

Yes, always	23.3%
Yes, often	23.5%
Can’t say	9.4%
Not really	13.4%
Not at all	30.4%

Women in their teens and twenties were most likely to multi-task with their mobile, with 75.2% and 63.7% respectively tending to do both at the same time, and for each age group women were up to 50% more likely to use their mobiles in front of the television.

Q5: What do you do on the internet? (Sample size by internet access method)

	PC N=1,561	Mobile phone N=979	Smartphone N=107
Search for, obtain information	96.9%	62.1%	67.3%
Enter promotions, answer questionnaires	81.4%	19.45	15.0%
Purchase goods, services	79.8%	16.8%	18.7%
Keep in touch, exchange information	61.4%	57.2%	44.9%
Fill up free time	59.3%	60.6%	65.4%
Create information	32.4%	18.3%	22.4%
Participate in communities	27.9%	21.5%	24.3%
Use electronic government, local government services	16.9%	2.0%	5.6%
Sell goods, servicces	14.4%	3.4%	6.5%
Other	1.7%	1.6%	2.8%

Q6: Do you use the following social media through computer-based internet? (Sample size=1,561, multiple answer)

Video sharing service	56.8%
Personal blogs	41.6%
Community site	27.7%
Mini blog (Twitter, etc)	14.7%