Consumers increasingly depend on technology and say it has positively impacted their lives
The digital opportunity is becoming more evident in India with every day that passes. Indians are actively adopting digital services and technologies as part of their day-to-day lifestyles. According to the new “State of Digital Lifestyles” report from Limelight Networks (Nasdaq: LLNW), a global leader in digital content delivery, almost two-thirds of Indian consumers surveyed say they could not go a single day without their mobile phones, with Indian consumers ranking second, after Malaysia, for being the most addicted to their digital devices.
Respondents in ten countries were asked how they interact with digital media and the impact of technology in their lives. Interestingly, when asked how long they could part from their favorite digital devices, 66 percent of Indian users claimed they would not be able to stop using their mobile phone for even one day. In comparison, the global average of users unwilling to separate from their mobile phones stands at 48 percent. Laptop and desktop computers were the second most integral digital technology for Indian users, with 45 percent of respondents reporting that they could not go without them for even a day, which is highest in the survey and 12 percent more than the global average of 33 percent.
It is evident that Indian users are readily embracing this digital wave, with 93 per cent of Indian respondents acknowledging that digital technology has positively impacted their lives. On the other hand, Japanese and German respondents believed this change to be the lowest with only 11 percent and 25 percent of them reporting digital technology to have had a significant impact in their lifestyles. Indians also are the most optimistic about the impact of technology on their lives globally.
Additional insights from the report include:
Entertainment has gone digital: India has the highest level of engagement across all types of online digital content. This includes 78 percent downloading or streaming music at least once a week, the highest rate among the surveyed countries. Indian respondents also displayed higher inclination to downloading movies and watching them offline, which is 12 percent higher than the global average.
The use of digital devices for fitness is a growing trend: As the curtains drew on International Yoga Day, it was evident that Indians are highly concerned about their health. The survey reported that India had the highest adoption of health and fitness trackers, with 35 percent of Indian respondents owning trackers like Fitbit, Garmin, or Apple Watch, while 33 percent were planning to buy one within the next six months.
Security is a top concern when using internet-connected devices. Nearly half (45 percent) of global consumers are concerned about the privacy of data collected by digital assistants, and 42 percent worry about security and potential hacking into the devices. This apprehension over security, however, was one of the lowest amongst Indian respondents (36 percent).
Commenting on the survey, Gaurav Malik, Country Head, India at Limelight Networks said, “India has made remarkable progress in terms of digital adoption. One of the key takeaways from the survey has been that the Indian users are clearly more willing to adopt digital products and services and make it a part of their day-to-day lives. This is a positive sign for all stakeholders, including market players, consumers, and the government, as it leads to a win-win proposition for everyone and will boost the productivity of the nation as the digital adoption increases.
Executive Summary
As internet speeds have increased and smartphones have become an integral part of everyday life, there has been an explosion of digital content and devices on which to consume it. Consumers can now easily access music, movies, TV shows, books, magazines and newspapers whenever and wherever they want. Internet-connected digital assistants such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod also make it easier than ever to access information and entertainment as well as automate tasks around the home. Digital devices and online content have become an integral part of our daily lives. However, they create new challenges and frustrations.
Consumers have embraced the flexibility and easy access to online music, with 60 percent accessing it weekly. Streaming is now the most popular way listeners enjoy digital music, with 53 percent streaming music online and 39 percent downloading music to listen offline. Only 8 percent still purchase audio CDs. Although there are many devices available for listening to streaming music, mobile phones are the most popular device, particularly for younger listeners.
The popularity of online video also continues to grow, with more than half of people watching online movies and TV shows each week. More than 61 percent of viewers stream video online while 31 percent download it for offline viewing. And when it comes to newspapers and magazines, readers have gone digital. More than 57 percent of people prefer to read newspapers and magazines online compared to just 25 percent who purchase physical copies.
Although consumers enjoy the easy access to online digital content, it does not come without its frustrations. More than 88 percent of consumers find the process of accessing digital content challenging. 37 percent cited content stopping playback and rebuffering as a frustration that disrupts their enjoyment of online digital content.
Consumers want the easy access to online digital content, but they aren’t eager to pay for it. Less than 50 percent will pay for movies, TV shows and music if it is not available online for free. Only 39 percent will pay to download apps to their phones, and less than a third will pay to read online newspapers and magazines.
Internet-connected digital assistants such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod have become increasingly popular. More than 19 percent of people currently own one of the devices and an additional 21 percent plan to purchase one in the next six months. However, many consumers are not ready to trust the devices to perform
everyday tasks. Only 35 percent of people would definitely trust a digital assistant to provide general information such as the weather and news, and only 22 percent definitely trust it to perform home automation. Most consumers (80 percent) are concerned about the use of internet-connected devices with more than 40 percent citing security and hacking into devices as well as privacy concerns about data collected by the devices
The State of Digital Lifestyles report is based on responses from 5,000 consumers in France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States age 18 and older who had downloaded software or streamed online video or music during the last month.