Locals spend 5 hours on social media daily
International market research agency YouGov Asia Pacific (YouGov Apac) in its latest survey found that Malaysians spent an average of five hours and 47 minutes a day on social media.
In a clear showcase of growth in broadband use, YouGov Apac said its data revealed one in six Malaysians or 17 per cent spent more than nine hours a day browsing for updates, among others, on social media.
Women are likely to spend more time checking their social media accounts than men; two in 10 (21 per cent) women spend more than nine hours a day on social media, while only one in 10 (11 per cent) of men does so.
WhatsApp was found to be the most used social media platform, with almost nine in 10 (88 per cent) using the app at least once a week. This is followed by Facebook (81 per cent), YouTube (74 per cent), Instagram (64 per cent) and Facebook Messenger (40 per cent).
The survey found that the popularity of social media apps does depend on gender, with women prefer using Telegram than men (38 per cent against 27 per cent), whereas more men prefer WeChat (27 per cent against 17 per cent).
YouGov Omnibus Apac head Jake Gammon said social media played an integral part as the average Malaysian with an account spent almost a quarter of each day on social media platforms.
“In the age of digital marketing, understanding the relationship consumers have with their social me- dia accounts is essential in reaching Malaysians who are always on their phones.”
HP Malaysia managing director Fayza Mohamed Amin said Malaysia had always been “techaware” concerning the development of technology particularly in terms of connectivity, now especially with the advent of the 5G wireless system.
“Telco service providers compete to serve their customers with ubiquitous connectivity, and 5G should also be part of delivering that experience in the future. Malaysia is a prominent IP hub in this region and we need to continuously improve on existing infrastructure to reap the benefits of the Internet economy.
“This includes the need to develop a buoyant creative economy where access devices like laptops and computers spur enablers of our Internet economy in areas like online commerce, software development, content creation and data analytics.”
Fayza said HP played a role to nurture future skillsets in adapting towards the greater implementation of such technology.