Did you know that Colombians feel more insecure on the Internet than a couple of years ago? Or that women are seen as the ones that are generating the most jobs and businesses online? These are just some of the findings of the new study "Perceptions and Use of the Internet in Colombia."
Made on behalf of .CO Internet (GoDaddy Registry), the company that manages the .CO domain, and carried out by the Centro Nacional de Consultoría (CNC), This study does not seek to know the number of connected devices or the level of penetration in the country. Instead, it investigates the opinions and perceptions of Colombians about the Internet.
In this way, the study "Perceptions and Use of the Internet in Colombia", which reaches its sixth edition, was based on surveys carried out among men and women between the ages of 18 and 60, from all strata, and covering regions such as Bogotá , Medellín, Cali, Caribbean (Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Cartagena), Santanderes and Eje Cafetero (Pereira, Manizales, Armenia).
This research is free and can be downloaded from the .CO page or by following this link. When asked about the origin of this initiative, Eduardo Santoyo, general manager of .CO Internet (GoDaddy Registry), states:
“We teamed up with an ally who has been very strong to us since then, the Centro Nacional de Consultoría, and we ask ourselves what we do to have a reference of information about elements that help us to converse on the Internet in Colombia and about what the Internet means in our lives and in the transformation of our society”.
A more insecure internet
On this occasion, the study of Internet Perceptions and Use in Colombia has 120 pages divided into six categories: Internet uses; shopping and security; entrepreneurship in Colombia; security, technology and life as a couple; protection of children on the Internet and trust in the media.
The study also presents a comparison with previous editions to help detect the evolution of Internet users in the country, highlighting phenomena such as the increase in the perception of insecurity on the Internet.
To the question "Do you feel safer shopping online today than a year ago?", the number of users who feel confident is 67%, compared to 75% in 2021 and 76% in 2020.
Questioned by this phenomenon, Fabricio Alarcón, vice president of the CNC, He comments that one of the causes of this perception is given by the new number of users on the network and that, precisely because of their inexperience, they are more vulnerable to deception.
And it is precisely that there has been an increase in cases of fraud, identity theft and information theft, among other problems. But this evil does not only affect consumers.
William Fox, associate marketing manager for .CO Internet (GoDaddy Registry), says: "The second aspect of why people feel insecure is the impersonation of profiles, both companies and individuals."
female entrepreneurship and shopping
On the positive side, the study brought good news in terms of gender inclusion. According to surveys, women not only generate more Internet ventures, they also generate more income. This is an opinion shared by men and women alike.
Continuing with the business theme, the Colombian buyer is omnichannel, with 92% of those surveyed stating that they acquired something in the last year using social networks, web pages and mobile applications.
At the same time, there has been a diversification in the objects acquired. A couple of years ago, the strongest products in e-commerce used to be airline tickets and technology products, but that is changing.
Last year there was an increase in purchases of fashion items, which went from 38% in 2017 to 50% in 2022, and of medicines and beauty items, which went from 19% in 2018 to 44% in 2022. Even The purchase of food for the home has skyrocketed online, going from 15% in 2018 to 39% in 2022.
life as a couple
One of the most curious cases in the study has to do with the use of the Internet in relationships. In this sense, to the question “Do you think your partner has the right to access your Internet and social network accounts?”, 29% of those surveyed answered affirmatively. This figure is lower than that of 2021, when 36% responded in the same way.
At the same time, 52% of those surveyed believe that technology has complicated relationships, an opinion that exceeds the 46% registered in 2021.
A worrying aspect highlighted in the study has to do with the vulnerability of minors on the Internet, an issue in which 11% of parents state that their children have been offended or harassed online. At this point, Eduardo Santoyo makes an analogy with taking care of children when going out, a task in which parents are always aware of any risk. This behavior should also be replicated on the Internet.
Another topic discussed was trust in the media, where a notable increase in the amount of false news from television was found. Although of course, the great generator of this type of misleading content is still social networks.
But these highlighted topics in this text are just a sample of the content available in the study and that motivated the realization of a hangout available here:
Article taken from impactotic.co
By: Jorge Hernández