If you thought that women spend more time online as compared to men, then think again. According to a recent survey conducted by Google, only one-third of the total Indian population with access to the internet are women!
The Google survey clearly indicated that 49 percent of women do not see any reason to access the internet. “While there is low awareness about the benefits of Internet amongst women in India, there are many who want to get online to succeed in life,” said Sandeep Menon, country head marketing for Google India.
The case study titled “Women & Technology” involved 828 Indian women aged from 8 to 55 identified that connection issues, affordability and time as the key constraints to accessing the internet.
Many of the respondents who were part of the survey expressed that household work load said was a main factor that left little time for what is perceived to be a leisure activity. Some women even revealed that they feared angering their in-laws for spending too much time o the world wide web.
The report by Google also pointed out that the advent of smartphones and Internet cafes could be a cheaper and more private way for Indian women to access the Internet.
The respondents of the Google survey stated that they would use the internet more, if they had more privacy. The survey also touched upon factors like income and demographic differences between the internet users and non-users. The survey reveals that women who spend time online tend to have slightly higher incomes and most of them are young, single and students. The non-users tend to be slightly older and more likely to be married with children. The survey revealed that younger women are keen to get online, and 32 percent of all non-internet users plan to use the internet soon, and 46 percent of non-users in the age group from 18 to 29 are likely to use the internet soon.
Not only did Google release this survey report but also launched a new film to inspire young digital natives to bring their mothers online.
“We are working with various partners to help spread awareness about the benefits of being online amongst women. We have launched a new film to inspire young digital natives to bring their mothers online,” Menon said.
“There are large number of educated women in India with internet access in their households, but they still do not use the internet. We are making an appeal to their children to hold their mother’s hand as she discovers a new world online,” Menon further added.
