According to the TCS Youth Survey, Facebook is beginning to lose ground among teenagers in Hyderabad, with 83% of the participants using it against 91% last year. However, the current figure is still enough to place it on top of the list of the most popular social networking sites.
The TCS survey attempts to take note of the digital habits of teenagers across 15 cities who are between the ages of 12 to 18 years, especially focusing on Generation Z children who were born after 1995. It found that Facebook is followed by Google+, which commands a 74% share among the youth in Hyderabad.
TCS observed that the Google+ was more popular among girls at 78%, as opposed to the Facebook’s 67%. Smartphones were the most desirable electronic gadget among the participants with an 84% share. When it comes to accessing the internet, though, desktops and laptops (48%) beat out handsets (33%).
According to the study, Twitter is rising in popularity as 45% of the respondents said they had an account on the site. 68% of girls followed celebrities on the service, as opposed to 51% of guys. WhatsApp continues to dominate instant messaging, with a 66% share. It’s followed by Google Hangouts at 12% and Text messages at 11%.
TCS claims 75% of the teenagers in the report spend at least an hour online on a daily basis. 37% reply to notifications once a day, while 31% respond within half an hour of getting them. 59% had their internet activity monitored by their parents, with 64% of parents having access to their online accounts.
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In spite of the rise in social media, the youth still prefers talking face to face with friends (38%) compared to other forms of communication. A whopping 91% of participants said they shop online, with books topping the chart of items bought at 62%. Electronic devices are next with a 59% share and movie or event tickets rounding off the list at 55%.
Traditional forms of media such as TV and newspapers are the most popular mediums to get news (80%). Links from friends on Facebook account for 42% and online sources stand at 41%.