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1、Published 9 June 2021Online Nation2021 reportWelsh version available:Ein Gwlad Ar-lein-Trosolwg Cymraeg2 Contents Section Overview.3 What we have found in brief.3 1.The online consumer.9 Introduction.9 Internet take-up and use.11 Device take-up and use.16 Use of internet services.19 Online harms and

2、 attitudes to regulation.40 2.Children.49 Introduction.49 Childrens internet take-up and use.50 Device take-up and use.52 Use of internet services.54 Market context and business models.74 Childrens experience of online harms,and action taken.78 3.Social video.85 Introduction.85 Take-up and use.87 Us

3、er engagement and key genres.94 Market context and business models.103 Content delivery.105 Content creators.109 User experiences of using social video.113 4.The online industry.120 Introduction.120 Market overview.121 GAFAM.123 Overview of key sectors.127 5.News and misinformation.150 Introduction.

4、150 News consumption.150 False or misleading information.157 The coronavirus pandemic.162 Actions taken to tackle false information online.171 Annex A1.Covid-19.176 A2.Methodology.177 3 Overview What we have found in brief People used online services more than ever as we became more dependent on the

5、m during the pandemic With the UK in some form of lockdown for most of 2020,we were more dependent than ever on online services for entertainment,shopping,keeping in touch,getting information,home working and home schooling.By the end of the year,about 94%of UK homes had internet access,up from abou

6、t 89%in 2019.And we spent more time online:an average of 3 hours 37 minutes a day on smartphones,tablets and computers(nine minutes more than in 2019)as well as an average of 1 hour 21 minutes a day watching online services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer on television sets(24 minutes more than in 2

7、019).In September 2020,UK internet users spent nearly four times as much time on smartphones(an average of 2 hours 19 minutes a day)than they did on computers(37 minutes).More people have taken part in online gaming,video-calling and online health services during the pandemic With people at home for

8、 much of the year,online gaming saw a big increase in 2020.Nearly two-thirds(62%)of adults,and 92%of 16-to 24-year-olds,said they played games on an electronic device,and over half of all gamers agreed that gaming helped them get through lockdown.Games consoles and computers are widely used by young

9、 adults in particular,but smartphones are the most commonly used device across all age groups,and were used for gaming by 39%of all UK adults.The multiplayer social deduction game Among Us was a global phenomenon on smartphones,with over 11 million downloads in the UK in the last four months of 2020

10、.Video calling became an important way for people to keep in touch during the pandemic.Zoom had extraordinary growth:from a few hundred thousand users in the first two months of 2020 to more than 13 million in April and May.It has since experienced some decline(down to 10.4 million users in March 20

11、21),while platforms used primarily for work and education,notably Microsoft Teams,have shown a sustained increase in use(13.7 million users in March 2021,up by 5.3 million year on year).Online services were also a crucial way for people to find out information about the pandemic,and for governments

12、to try to track and control the spread of the virus.The NHS online service was used by 22.5 million UK adults in March 2020 as the country entered lockdown.Adult users of the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales peaked in October 2020 with 12.6 million users(27%of the population in England and Wale

13、s);in the same month the Protect Scotland app reached 23%of adults in Scotland and the StopCOVID NI app reached 3%of adults in Northern Ireland.Fifty years since the first email was sent,88%of UK online adults use an email service 4 Although messaging apps have become widespread,email is still widel

14、y used and is essential for many forms of online registration,including shopping sites.Google Gmail was the most-used email service among adults in 2020,used by 61%of the UK online adult population.WhatsApp,owned by Facebook,is the most-used messaging service,with 75%of online over-15s saying they u

15、sed it during the spring 2020 lockdown,ahead of Facebook Messenger(58%).Facebooks Instagram Direct Message was used by 24%of UK online adults.Of online over-15s,83%(and 97%of 15-24s)said they used at least one Facebook-owned service at least monthly.But the pandemic has created a bigger digital divi

16、de While most of us benefited from online services,lockdown had a greater effect on people who are digitally excluded.Six per cent of households dont have home internet access,and 14%of adults access the internet only infrequently.Older people are less likely to have home internet access(18%of over-

17、64s do not have access),but so too are those in lower socio-economic households(11%).People who rely on a mobile phone for internet access might struggle to work or learn from home or complete online forms this represents 10%of all adults,and 18%of adults in lower socio-economic households.Even amon

18、g those who do have access to the internet,5%say they are not confident in using it,again with higher proportions among over-64s(9%)and those in lower socio-economic households(10%).While the internet was a vital lifeline in 2020,over half of children had a negative experience online Virtually all c

19、hildren had some form of home internet access,though many didnt always have access to appropriate devices for their schoolwork The internet helped most children continue their education throughout lockdown;nearly nine in ten households with school-age children had home schooling for periods in 2020

20、and early 2021.However,while virtually all households with school-age children had access to the internet at home,7%did not have fixed broadband and 4%had access only via a mobile phone.One in five children did not have access to an appropriate device for their schoolwork all the time.Children aged

21、seven to 16 spend nearly four hours a day online The older the child,the more time they spend online.Seven-to eight-year-olds spent an average of nearly three hours a day online in September 2020 and 15-to 16-year-olds nearly five hours.Half of children own a mobile phone by the age of ten,and nearl

22、y all children do so by the age of 13.Among parents of five-to 15-year-olds who went online,half felt the need to relax some of the rules about what their child did online because they were spending more time at home than usual.But despite increases in childrens screen time,the majority of parents(5

23、9%)said that their child had a good balance between screen time and doing other things.Much of childrens internet use is centred on watching video content and gaming 5 YouTube is a constant in UK childrens online lives,used by nearly nine in ten children of all age groups,from three-to four-year-old

24、s to teenagers.YouTube was the app that seven-to 17-year-olds were most likely to name as their favourite in early 2021,but TikTok was the most popular platform for girls aged 13 to 17.Three-quarters of UK five-to 15-year-olds played games online in 2020.There are differences between the games boys

25、and girls like to play.Creative games such as Roblox and Minecraft are particularly popular with girls,while boys tend to prefer to play console-based competitive games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty.Social media is an integral part of most teenagers lives Despite most platforms setting their min

26、imum user age at 13,by the age of 11 the majority(59%)of UK children use social media.By the age of 15,95%of children use it.Instagram is used by 66%of 12-to 15-year-olds,ahead of Snapchat(58%)and Facebook(54%).About nine in ten eight-to 15-year-olds who use social media said it helped them to feel

27、closer to their friends in 2020.But there are social pressures around the use of social media;nine in ten 12-to 15-year-olds who used social media,or chat and messaging apps,said they felt pressure to be popular on these sorts of apps or sites.But the internet is not always a child-friendly environm

28、ent,and many children have been exposed to potential harms More than half of the 12-to 15-year-olds surveyed said they had had a negative experience online in 2020.On mobile phones,the most common of these experiences was being contacted online by someone you dont know who wants to be your friend(ci

29、ted by 30%overall)and a significant minority had seen something scary or troubling(18%),or seen something of a sexual nature that made them feel uncomfortable(17%).Children are also coming across bullying.A quarter of eight-to 11-year-olds and a third of 12-to 15-year-olds said they had personally b

30、een bullied,either online or offline.Older children are more likely to experience bullying via social media and messaging apps,while younger children are more likely to say they have been bullied when playing games online.Most children would tell someone if they saw something worrying or nasty onlin

31、e.Older children are more likely to tell a friend,while younger children are more likely to tell their teacher.YouTube continues to be used by virtually all UK internet users,while TikTok grew rapidly in 2020 Young people are heavy viewers of social video YouTube and Facebook are the largest social

32、video platforms in the UK,each reaching over 95%of UK internet users in September 2020.They also account for the most time spent YouTube users spent an average of 43 minutes a day on it at the height of lockdown in April 2020(falling to 35 minutes in September 2020),while users of Facebook(including

33、 Facebook Messenger)spent an average of 31 minutes a day on it in April(falling to 21 minutes in September 2020).6 Young adults are particularly heavy users of social video.During the spring 2020 lockdown,nearly three-quarters of 15-to 24-year-olds said they watched short video content online every

34、day,and in September 2020 YouTube users aged 18-24 spent an average of 1 hour 16 minutes a day on the service.TikTok,owned by the Chinese company Bytedance,increased its number of UK adult users from 3.2 million in September 2019 to 11.5 million in September 2020,and this grew further during the win

35、ter 2021 lockdown,reaching 13.9 million UK adults in March 2021.It is also particularly popular among teenagers,with more than 37%of 13-to 17-year-olds saying they used it in March 2021.In the UK,music videos are the most-viewed type of content on social video platforms,with gaming content also popu

36、lar Music videos are viewed by 47%of all social media users,and performers have been propelled up international music charts after going viral on social video platforms.For example,former postman Nathan Evans gained viral popularity on TikTok with his sea shanty Wellerman and later topped the UK Sin

37、gles Chart in January 2021.Lockdown also influenced the types of social video that were most popular.The most-viewed YouTube video of 2020 in the UK was the first episode of Joe Wicks PE with Joe fitness video on 23 March 2020,with 7.2 million viewers.YouTube reported that in the early weeks of lock

38、down daily views of videos with home workout in the title increased by 515%,while viewing of videos related to sourdough bread increased by 458%and videos with self-care in the title increased by 215%.Social video was used in 2020 to share content on prominent social and political issues,including,i

39、n particular,the#BlackLivesMatter movement,climate change and anti-lockdown protests.However,in some instances,use of video-sharing to promote violence or hate crime has resulted in platforms taking action by removing content or banning contributors.Social video offers huge benefits,but is also a so

40、urce of harmful content Social video services offer huge benefits for users and the economy.They provide a platform for self-expression through enabling user-generated content(our research finds that 31%of adults and 40%of 13-to 17-year-olds post video content).Social video also serves as a means of

41、 entertainment and education for many(used by 97%of adult internet users),and as an important method of marketing for businesses(online video advertising spend grew by 23%in the UK in 2020 to 2.7bn).However,our research found that 70%of those who view social video services had seen or experienced so

42、mething potentially harmful in the past three months.Fake news and offensive language were the most common potentially harmful online experiences,followed by fake or deceptive images/videos.Unwelcome friend requests/follows and trolling were the most common potentially harmful types of contact acros

43、s all platforms.In 2020 YouTube removed 34.8 million videos in 2020,1%of which were uploaded in the UK,while TikTok removed 194 million videos.On both platforms,child safety was the most common reason for these removals.7 The big internet platforms grew even bigger in 2020 Of all the time spent onli

44、ne in 2020,more than a third was on Google or Facebook Sites and apps owned by Google(including YouTube)and Facebook(including Instagram)commanded 39%of all the time spent online on computers,smartphones,and tablets.There is then a further list of 18 sites and apps,headed by Spotify,Netflix and Byte

45、dance(which includes TikTok),all of which were used by UK online adults for a minute or more a day,and which amounted to 22%of the average time spent online each day.The remaining 39%of time spent online is across a range of more than 180 million sites.The popularity of Google and Facebook services

46、is also evident in the use of mobile apps,with nine of the top ten most-used apps in the UK owned by either Google or Facebook.There are some differences by device,which illustrates the power of the operating system.On Android,the top three apps are all owned by Google;on iOS the top two are both Fa

47、cebook-owned,with three Apple apps appearing in the top ten.Looking more broadly,the GAFAM group of major platforms were big beneficiaries of the increased use of online services in 2020.All five companies reported record revenue and profit in Q4 2020.Online retailers expanded their businesses as th

48、e pandemic changed consumer behaviour Online retail spend in the UK increased by 48%to an estimated 113bn in 2020(compared to an average annual increase of 13%in the previous four years)as onlines share of retail spend increased from about 20%in 2019 to 35%in the spring lockdown and 30%in December 2

49、020.Supermarkets expanded their online deliveries,and by December 2020 11%of UK grocery market sales were online,up from 5%at the beginning of the year.Online food delivery services also benefited from heavy increases in demand Just Eat was the most popular,visited by nearly 10 million people in Dec

50、ember 2020 and reporting that its UK orders were 58%higher in the last quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.Many people get their news online,but the pandemic highlighted the risks of misinformation being spread through social media People have relied on the internet for news and info

51、rmation through the pandemic During the spring 2020 lockdown,half of online adults in Great Britain(52%)said news and current affairs was one of their main reasons to go online.Among news sites,the BBC news website or app is most commonly used,with 26%of adults using it in the first quarter of 2021

52、to get information or news about the coronavirus.However,adults are as likely to use social media to find information about the Covid-19 pandemic as they are to use news sites and apps(about one in three for each).On social media,Facebook is the main source,although younger people are just as likely

53、 to use Instagram or Twitter.One in eight 16-to 24-year-olds considered social media to be their most important source of information about the coronavirus pandemic,compared to 5%of all UK online adults.8 The pandemic has resulted in an abundance of information,which includes inaccurate and misleadi

54、ng information The ease of publishing news online,and the speed at which it can be distributed and shared,delivers many benefits but also creates the potential for the spread of potentially false or misleading information,requiring people to identify whether the content they come across is true,fals

55、e or misleading.In late March 2020,when the UK had just gone into lockdown,46%of UK adults who were getting news or information about the coronavirus pandemic said that they had come across information or news that they thought was false or misleading.This proportion had fallen to 30%by early 2021.S

56、ome of the most commonly circulated types of coronavirus-related misinformation in the first quarter of 2021 were that face masks/coverings offered no protection or were harmful,and that the number of deaths linked to coronavirus was actually much lower than was being reported.Social media was the m

57、ost likely source for such claims,and they were most likely to be found on Facebook.However,trust in social media platforms as a source of information about the coronavirus pandemic is low;only 16%of those who used Facebook to get information about the coronavirus pandemic said they trusted it as a

58、source,and 43%said they did not.People are more likely to be concerned about the misinformation that other people are getting about coronavirus than the impact it has on themselves.Over half of people have seen warnings on social media that information might be untrustworthy.Many social media and so

59、cial video platforms have taken action to combat false information.Actions include raising the profile of authoritative information sources,removing content that is false and flagging content that might be untrue.In Q1 2021,53%of adult internet users said they had come across warnings or notices on

60、social media saying that the information might be untrustworthy or untrue.More detail and data can be found in the Online Nation interactive report.9 1.The online consumer Introduction The pandemic has highlighted the importance of being online and driven changes in the take-up and use of internet s

61、ervices,as many people have had a critical reliance on the internet for communications,information,entertainment,and commerce.Increases in internet use in 2020 were most pronounced during the spring and November lockdowns,as people turned to the internet for video calling for socialising or home-bas

62、ed working,films and gaming,shopping,and information about the pandemic.While the pandemic has brought increased reliance on the internet and online services,the digital divide continues to prevent the benefits of internet connectivity being available to all.A small percentage of the population do n

63、ot have internet access with older people and those in lower socio-economic groups less likely to be connected but other barriers also exist,in the lack of skills and confidence that some internet users have,and in the availability of suitable devices to access internet services.The smartphone appea

64、rs to be the base layer of connectivity,with more users in lower socio-economic groups relying on this device for internet access without a computer.Forty-two per cent of internet users in the DE socio-economic group only use devices other than a computer to go online,raising questions about how res

65、tricted some groups may be in activities like filling in online forms.Key metrics Figure 1.1:Percentage of UK adults who used the internet in September 2020 Percentage of UK adults who use the internet1 86%Figure 1.2:Time spent online across computers,tablets and smartphones per UK adult visitor per

66、 day,by year(hours:minutes)2017 2018 2019 2020 Time spent online per user per day2 2:57 3:10 3:28 3:37 Figure 1.3:UK household reach to the internet 2021 Internet Smartphone Tablet PC Percentage of households3 94%91%65%47%4 1 Ofcom modelling using ONS and Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,A

67、ge 18+,Sep 2020,UK 2 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Audience,Age 18+2017-2020,UK.Note:time spent in 2017 is based on the last ten months of the year.3 Ofcom Technology Tracker 2021 4 Ofcom has recorded different figures for PC in separate surveys.10 Figure 1.4:Selected key metrics Percentage of U

68、K adult internet users who say they only access the internet via a smartphone5 10%Percentage of UK adult internet users who access the internet on both computers and mobile devices6 61%Percentage of UK adults with 10+years experience online7 73%Percentage of UK adult internet users who say they are

69、confident8 83%Percentage of UK adult internet users who say they are not happy for companies to collect and use their data9 21%Percentage of UK adult internet users who agree that people should be protected from seeing inappropriate or offensive material online10 61%Figure 1.5:Average time spent onl

70、ine per day in 2020 by adult internet users,and total apps downloaded in 2020 in selected countries Source:Time spent online:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,age:18+,Jan-Dec 2020,Brazil,USA,Canada,UK,Spain,France,Germany and India.Note:TV set and smart device online use not included.Total app downloads:A

71、pp Annie Intelligence.Downloads are across iOS,Google Play.Note:Germany time spent is based on the first nine months of 2020 due to a methodology change in Q4 2020.5 Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 6 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age 18+,Sep 2019 and Sep 2020,UK 7 Ofcom Adults

72、Media Literacy Tracker 2020 8 Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 9 Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 10 Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 11 Internet take-up and use 86%of UK adults used the internet in September 2020 Data from Comscore,the UKOM-accredited online audience measure

73、ment currency,show that 45.5 million adults aged 18+accessed the internet in September 2020(our sample month).11 As shown in Figure 1.6,going online is almost universal among 18-to 54-year-olds.The largest increase in users was among the over-54s;up by 4 percentage points over the past year.Figure 1

74、.6:Online access by UK adults in September each year,by age Source:Ofcom modelling Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Adults 18+,Sep 2017,Sep 2018,Sep 2019 and Sep 2020 UK;ONS 2017-2018,2019 data indicative,UK.Note that these figures represent monthly use of the internet,not any access at al

75、l,which is covered in a later section.UK adult internet users spent more than three and a half hours online a day in 202012 UK adult internet users spent an average of three hours 37 minutes a day online on computers,tablets and smartphones in 2020.This was 9 minutes more than in 201913 perhaps a su

76、rprisingly small increase given the increased reliance most of us had on online services during the pandemic.However,internet use was already ubiquitous and multi-faceted before the onset of the pandemic.The main growth in time spent online in 2020 was via connected TVs-whether for video-on-demand v

77、iewing,online gaming or watching YouTube or TikTok.Ofcoms estimates suggest that UK individuals,including children,spent 81 minutes per day watching these services on the TV set in 11 Ofcom modelling using Comscore September 2020 and ONS data;Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age 18+,Sep 20

78、20,UK 12 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,monthly average 2020,UK 13 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age 18+,monthly average 2019 and 2020,UK 81%98%95%93%87%61%83%96%96%97%90%65%84%95%95%95%93%67%86%97%98%99%92%71%18+18-2425-3435-4445-5455+Age2017201820192020 12 2020-an

79、increase of 24 minutes compared to 2019(56 minutes).14 TV online viewing will be explored in our annual Media Nations report,due to be published later this year.Young adults continue to be the group spending the most time online,across computers,tablets and smartphones,with 18-24s averaging 4 hours

80、34 minutes online per day in 2020,up by 10 minutes since 2019(4hrs 24 mins).Internet users aged over 54 had the highest year-on-year increase,up from 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 51 minutes in 2020.15 Figure 1.7:Average time spent online across computers,tablets and smartphones per UK adult visitor

81、 per day,by age and year(hours:minutes)Age 2019 2020 Year-on-year increase 18+3:28 3:37 9 minutes 18-24 4:24 4:34 10 minutes 25-34 3:55 4:07 12 minutes 35-44 3:41 3:51 10 minutes 45-54 3:35 3:36 1 minute 55+2:35 2:51 16 minutes Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,Jan-Dec 2019 a

82、nd 2020,UK.Note:TV set and smart device online use not included Increases in internet use were most pronounced during the spring and November lockdowns in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 Whereas internet use was fairly consistent across 2019,in 2020 there were notable monthly increases in time sp

83、ent online in the months when there was a national lockdown.Online UK adults on average spent 4 hours 2 minutes online per day in April 2020,an increase of 37 minutes compared to April 2019.In November 2020,when England entered a four-week lockdown,there was a less pronounced increase:9 minutes more

84、 than November 2019.16 In the first quarter of 2021,on average,online UK adults spent 3 hours 45 minutes online per day,13 minutes more than in the first quarter of 2020.17 14 Ofcom estimates modelled from BARB,Comscore and TouchPoints data 15 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,2020,

85、UK 16 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,2019 and 2020,UK 17 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,Jan-Mar 2020 and 2021,UK 13 Figure 1.8:Average time spent online by adult unique visitors per day,by age:Jan-Dec 2019 vs.2020(hours:minutes)Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platfo

86、rm,Total Internet,Age:18+,Jan 2019-Dec 2019 and Jan 2020-Dec 2020,UK.Note:TV set and smart device online use not included Six per cent of UK households do not have internet access The lockdown appears to have contributed to more households getting online.Six per cent of homes around one and a half m

87、illion had no internet access in March 2021.This suggests a decrease in the proportion of households without internet access from 11%in March 2020,but this movement should be considered as indicative only.Enforced methodology changes to the survey limit direct comparability with previous years so,wh

88、ile these figures could ordinarily indicate an uplift in internet access compared to previous years,the change could also be due to the change in methodology,rather than any real change in internet access.18.Older people are less likely to have home internet access(18%of over-64s do not have home in

89、ternet access),as are those in lower socio-economic groups(11%of those in DE households).Fixed broadband is by far the most common method for connecting to the internet at home,with one in five households reporting that they access by tethering(accessing the internet on a device such as a laptop or

90、tablet using a mobile phones internet connection).This includes use during fixed-access outages.18 As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,the Ofcom Technology Tracker was not able to conduct face-to-face fieldwork in 2021,the method by which previous Technology Tracker surveys have been conducted.Inst

91、ead,data on internet access was gathered via a CATI(telephone)survey in 2021.The survey was conducted among adults aged 18+in 2021,and among adults aged 16+in 2020.03:2503:3103:4204:0203:5403:5203:3603:2603:2503:3003:3903:3203:1903:3203:2603:2303:2703:2803:2603:3003:3303:3303:3003:2504:1004:1704:380

92、5:0304:5405:0104:4204:2904:1404:2404:3404:3104:2004:3104:2604:2304:2804:3104:2304:2104:2004:2504:2104:1702:3902:4702:5803:1503:0102:5802:4702:4202:4202:4502:5302:4602:2902:3602:2802:2402:2702:3802:3902:4202:4102:4202:3902:34JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember October November Decembe

93、r2020:18+2019:18+2020:18-242019:18-242020:55+2019:55+Spring 2020lockdownAutumn 2020 lockdowns 14 Figure 1.9:Proportion of UK households with internet access 2021 Yes No 94%6%Source:Ofcom Technology Tracker CATI omnibus survey,12 February to 5 March 2021.KDR06:Do you or does anyone in your household

94、have access to the internet at home(via any device,e.g.PC,mobile phone Figure 1.10:Proportion of UK households with internet access:2021 Fixed broadband Mobile broadband Mobile data Tethering Mobile or tethered access only 92%16%49%21%6%Source:Ofcom Technology Tracker CATI omnibus survey,12 February

95、 to 5 March 2021.KDR07:Which of these methods does your household use to connect to the internet at home?(Base:2918).Mobile access only refers to households that do not have a fixed broadband connection.Although nearly three-quarters of UK adults have ten or more years experience online,internet use

96、 remains lower among older people and those in lower socio-economic groups The majority of internet users in the UK are experienced users,with most people in all adult age groups first going online ten years ago or more.But 7%of users went online for the first time in the past four years.Figure 1.11

97、:When UK internet users first went online All internet users 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+In the past 1-4 years 7%11%9%4%3%7%5%In the past 5-9 years 16%32%10%13%12%19%13%Ten years ago or more 73%53%75%80%81%69%78%Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 IN3:How long ago did you first star

98、t going online?Base:All adults aged 16+who go online,including those responding by post that gave a response(2956 in 2020,varies by demographic)Among those who are online,the breadth of their internet use varies by socio-economic group and age.Our Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 research found th

99、at internet users aged 65+were more likely to be narrow internet users who do less online,as were users in lower socio-economic groups.Almost half of the respondents aged 65+or in the DE group were classified as narrow users.15 Those aged 25-54 and in the ABC1 socio-economic groups were more likely

100、than average to be broad users,possibly because broader internet use correlates with being in employment.19 Digital literacy is critical if consumers are to be able to navigate,and get the most out of,the internet,as well as to understand the basics of internet safety.While confidence in using the i

101、nternet is high in the UK,it is not universal,and not everyone employs security measures to protect themselves online.Five per cent of internet users said they were not confident internet users,while 12%said they were neither confident nor not confident or didnt know.Lack of online confidence is mos

102、t prevalent among users aged 65 and over(9%),and those in DE households(10%).20 And lack of confidence,or being unsure,can potentially prevent users from making the most of the internet,or make them more susceptible to online harms.Figure 1.12:Breadth of use of the internet,by age,socio-economic gro

103、up and gender:2020 Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 IN13.Which,if any,of these activities have you ever done online?(multi-coded)Base:All adults aged 16+who go online,including those responding by post that gave a response(2957 in 2020,varies by demographic)There was a marked increase

104、 in time spent online in other countries as well as in the UK in April 2020 Internet users in the UK spend less time online than those in the US,but considerably more than those in France and Spain.Internet use in the other countries that we examined also saw a marked 19 We asked about 20 activities

105、,which included using social media or email,accessing government or banking services,shopping,searching for information and accessing news or entertainment content.Narrow users were defined as going online to do up to ten of the 20 activities,medium as 11-15 and broad as 16-20.https:/www.ofcom.org.u

106、k/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/adults 20 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 16 increase in April 2020 as the full effects of the pandemic took hold.The highest increase was in Spain,with average time spent online per adult per day across computers,tablets and smartphones rising fr

107、om 2 hours 47 minutes in January 2020 to 3 hours 56 minutes in April.21 All countries saw spikes in daily use throughout the year,which can be attributed to the varying lockdown periods and the severity of the lockdown measures employed by governments over the course of the pandemic.Figure 1.13:Aver

108、age time spent online on computers,tablets and smartphones(excludes activities on TV sets and smart devices)by adult internet users per day,by country:2020 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,Jan 2020-Dec 2020,USA,Canada,Brazil,UK,Spain,France and India.Note:TV set and smart de

109、vice online use not included Device take-up and use The smartphone is the most-used device for accessing the internet for all age groups apart from those aged 65+Our Adults Media Literacy research in 2020 found that 85%of internet users aged 16+used a smartphone to go online.Almost three-quarters ac

110、cess the internet via a computer and just over half via a tablet.Access via computer is more popular among respondents aged 65+.22 One in ten adults said they use only a smartphone to go online.Three in ten used their phone to complete an online form or application on a weekly basis,and younger age

111、groups were less likely to agree that this is difficult to do.Reliance on smartphones to access the internet is more prevalent among younger people and those in lower socio-economic groups,with 18%of respondents in DE households saying they use only a smartphone to go online,in contrast to only 4%of

112、 AB users who 21 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,2020,Brazil,Canada,France,India,Spain,USA,and UK 22 Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 04:3504:4304:5304:5704:4604:4304:3304:2604:2604:2504:3104:2903:3603:3703:5804:1803:5703:5103:3803:2703:2703:3903:4603:5603:0703:0503:2203:4

113、903:3403:2903:2403:5103:4903:4003:3903:3703:2503:2103:4204:0203:5403:5203:3603:2603:2503:3003:3903:3202:4702:5303:3403:5603:3303:1002:5002:4602:5302:5402:5902:5302:1602:2402:2602:3602:3002:2202:1002:0702:0702:1402:2502:1701:3901:3701:4702:0402:0101:5701:4901:4602:0602:0001:5401:58JanuaryFebruaryMarc

114、hAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember2020USACanadaBrazilUKSpainFranceIndia 17 said the same.Figure 1.14:Devices used to go online,among those who go online,by age 16+internet users 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+AB C1 C2 DE Smartphone 85%87%91%93%92%85%59%85%89%88%79%Computer 74%

115、68%66%71%78%77%87%83%81%69%58%Tablet 51%37%48%56%55%54%56%59%50%48%45%Smart TV 41%42%46%50%43%34%26%48%43%42%29%Games console/player 21%43%30%26%17%5%1%22%23%22%15%Smart Speaker 20%23%22%24%25%16%11%23%23%20%14%Wearable tech 12%12%17%16%13%8%4%14%14%12%7%Only use devices other than a computer to go

116、online 26%32%34%29%22%23%13%17%19%31%42%Only uses a smartphone to go online 10%12%15%13%8%8%2%4%8%12%18%Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 IN2A.Do you go online using any of these devices?(multi-coded)Base:All adults aged 16+who go online,excluding those responding by post(2776 aged 16+

117、,396 aged 16-24,435 aged 25-34,505 aged 35-44,418 aged 45-54,402 aged 55-64,620 aged 65+,801 AB,796 C1,493 C2,649 DE)UK adults spend nearly four times as much time online on smartphones than on computers Across computers,tablets and smartphones,68%of the time spent online in September 2020 was on sm

118、artphones,up from 65%in September 2019.Eighteen per cent of the time spent online was via computers and 13%via tablets.23 23 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total Internet,Age:18+,Sep 2019 and 2020,UK.Note:TV set and smart device online use not included 18 Households in lower socio-economic groups have

119、fewer devices available for online access Our 2021 Technology Tracker data shows that 12%of households in the DE group have no devices available to access the internet and 13%have just one device,roughly double the percentage of C2 households and three times that of AB and C1 households.Figure 1.15:

120、Count of individual devices in UK households,by socio-economic group AB C1 C2 DE Entire pop.0 devices 4%5%6%12%7%1 device 4%4%7%13%7%5+devices 69%58%53%36%54%Source:Ofcom Technology Tracker CATI omnibus survey,12 February to 5 March 2021.In comparison to other selected markets,the UK is in the middl

121、e in its proportion of mobile-only users International data from Comscore for September 2020 shows that some European countries(France,Germany)of comparable population and economy size to the UK have higher proportions of computer-only internet users and lower proportions of mobile-only users.Users

122、in Brazil and India are much more reliant on mobile devices,with 64%and 80%mobile-only online users respectively.24 Figure 1.16:Devices used by adults for accessing the internet,by country Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2020,Brazil,Canada,China,France,Germany,India,Spain,USA and UK 2

123、4 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Total internet,Age:18+,Sep 2020,Brazil and India 13%6%12%12%6%0%2%6%1%81%78%72%70%61%59%57%30%19%6%16%16%18%33%41%41%64%80%GermanyUSACanadaFranceUKChinaSpainBrazilIndiaComputer-only usersComputer&Mobile usersMobile-only users 19 Note:Measured take-up includes activity w

124、here data is available(desktop and laptop PCs,tablets and smartphones);it therefore excludes activities over a single month on smart TVs,smart speakers and other internet-connected devices.Note distinction in methodology between this data and the survey responses from the Adults Media Literacy Track

125、er that informed the chart at figure 1.14.Use of internet services Popular online properties Google-and Facebook-owned sites and apps remain the two most popular online properties in the UK,used by almost all adult internet users In September 2020,Google and Facebook properties remained the most-use

126、d properties,reaching 99%and 97%of online adults respectively.25 Amazon continued to reach 92%of online adults across its e-commerce sites and the film and television information database IMDb,which it owns.Microsoft sites continued to increase their reach,as in previous years,now up to 90%,while Ne

127、ws UK(The Times and The Sun),Reach Group(The Express,The Mirror,The Daily Star and local titles),BBC sites and Sky sites remain well established in the top ten.Mail Online/Daily Mail sites entered the top ten for the first time in 2020,extending their reach to 82%,although figure 1.17 below shows th

128、at they were not in the top ten properties for average time spent per day in September 2020.26 In late 2019 Apple introduced a new suite of products,including Apple TV+and Arcade.Apple Music has had the largest increase in reach among the Apple app suite since September 2019,when Apple released a we

129、b version27 of its Music service.Despite a year featuring increased e-commerce site use,eBay exited the top ten,falling from 73%reach to 67%in September 2020.28 Figure 1.17:Top ten properties accessed by adults online,ranked by reach:September 2018-2020 2018 2019 2020 Rank Property Reach Property Re

130、ach Property Reach 1 Google Sites 98%Google Sites 99%Google Sites 99%2 Facebook 96%Facebook 96%Facebook 97%25 Properties are groups of websites and apps owned by the same company;for instance,Google properties include Google Search,Gmail and YouTube;Facebook properties include Facebook and Messenger

131、,Instagram and WhatsApp.26 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK 27 TechCrunch,Apple Music launches a public beta on the web,September 2019 28 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK Increase of 3 percentage points or more on previous year Decrease of 3 percentage point

132、s or more on previous year No change or change within 3 percentage points on previous year New entrant into the top ten properties 20 3 BBC Sites 93%Amazon Sites 92%Amazon Sites 92%4 Amazon Sites 91%Reach Group 88%Reach Group 91%5 Microsoft Sites 86%Microsoft Sites 87%Microsoft Sites 90%6 Reach Grou

133、p 83%BBC Sites 87%News UK Sites 89%7 Verizon Media 72%News UK Sites 79%Mail Online/Daily Mail 82%8 eBay 72%eBay 73%BBC Sites 82%9 Sky Sites 72%Sky Sites 70%Sky Sites 81%10 News UK Sites 68%Verizon Media 70%Apple Inc.73%Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2018-2020,UK Note:Does not include

134、 TV set and smart speaker use.A methodology change in data collection for BBC sites may explain their year-on-year decrease.UK internet users spent an average of 52 minutes a day on Google-owned sites and 29 minutes on Facebook-owned sites By time spent,Google and Facebook remain the top two most po

135、pular properties on smartphones,tablets and computers.On average,adult users in the UK spent 52 minutes a day on a Google-owned site or app in September 2020,up from 47 minutes the year before.Bytedance Inc.,which owns TikTok,took the third spot,with adult users in the UK spending 20 minutes per day

136、 on it.29 While neither Netflix or Spotify were in the top ten based on reach,both appear in the top ten properties based on time spent per visitor,ranking fourth and fifth respectively in 2020.Time spent on Netflix is significantly understated,as the data only captures time spent on computers and m

137、obile devices,and excludes time spent watching Netflix on connected TV sets,while time spent on Spotify does not include time spent listening on smart devices.30 29 In 2019,TikTok did not feature in the top 100 sites for reach,but if it had,it would have been in fifth position on time spent per visi

138、tor 30 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK 21 Figure 1.18:Top ten properties accessed by UK adults via computer,smartphone and tablet,ranked by average time spent per day,by visitors to the sites:September 2018 September 2020 Increase of 5 minutes or more on previous year Decrease

139、of 5 minutes or more on previous year No change or change within 5 minutes on previous year New entrant into the top ten properties 2018 2019 2020 Rank Property Time Property Time Property Time 1 Google Sites 43 mins Google Sites 47 mins Google Sites 52 mins 2 Facebook 29 mins Facebook 36 mins Faceb

140、ook 29 mins 3 Spotify 23 mins Spotify 15 mins Bytedance Inc.20 mins 4 Netflix 15 mins Netflix 15 mins Netflix 16 mins 5 BBC Sites 5 mins Samsung Group 6 mins Spotify*15 mins 6 Xhamster 4 mins Verizon Media 4 mins Snapchat,Inc.8 mins 7 Verizon Media 4 mins Microsoft Sites 4 mins Twitter 5 mins 8 eBay

141、 4 mins eBay 4 mins Roblox 5 mins 9 Microsoft Sites 3 mins BBC Sites 4 mins Verizon Media 5 mins 10 Amazon Sites 2 mins Twitter 3 mins Microsoft Sites 4 mins Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,based on Top 100 Properties by reach,Age:18+,Sep 2018-2020,UK.Note:Online use via a TV set and smart device

142、 is not measured by Comscore.*Due to a tagging issue on iOS,Spotify was under-reported for September 2020.A methodology change in data collection for BBC sites may explain its year-on-year decrease.Snapchat is only measured via current methodology since Nov 19.TikTok and Roblox are covered in the Ch

143、ildren chapter of this report.Thirty-nine per cent of measured time online by UK adults in September 2020 was spent on Google-or Facebook-owned sites and apps,in line with 2019.However,while Google gained 5 minutes compared to September 2019,Facebook lost 6 minutes.Eighteen properties in the top 100

144、 were accessed by UK adults on average for a minute or more a day,across all internet users,on 22 smartphones,tablets and computers;22%of the average time spent online each day per adult is on these 18 out of the top 100 properties.31 Figure 1.19:Share of average time spent online per day by UK adul

145、t digital population,split by property:September 2019 and 2020(hours:minutes)Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2019 and Sep 2020,UK.The spring 2020 lockdown saw an increase in average time spent online by UK adults on Google-and Facebook-owned sites and apps In April 2020,during the UK

146、spring 2020 lockdown,time spent online per day by UK adults had increased by around half an hour compared to both September 2019 and 2020 overall.In April 2020 42%of measured time online was spent on Google-or Facebook-owned sites and apps,up from 39%in September 2019.Google had gained 15 minutes si

147、nce September 2019 but then lost 10 mins by September 2020.Similarly,Facebook had gained 6 minutes since September 2019 but lost 12 minutes by September 2020.32 31 Netcraft,May 2020 Web Server Survey,26 May 2020 32 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2019,September 2020 and April 2020,UK 0

148、:460:340:070:040:010:030:0300:0300:0500:0101:37Sept 2019 Total average daily time spent online 3 hours 33 minutes 00:5100:2800:0600:0500:0500:0300:0300:0201:20Google SitesFacebookSpotifyNetflix Inc.Bytedance Inc.Microsoft SitesAmazon SitesVerizon MediaBBC SitesTwitterSnapchat,IncApple Inc.eBaySky Si

149、tesReach GroupMail Online/Daily MailNews UK SitesOtherGoogleSept 2020Total average daily time spent online 3 hours 25 minutes OtherFacebookGoogleFacebookOther 23 Figure 1.20:Share of average time spent online per day by UK adult digital population,split by property:April 2020(hours:minutes)Source:Co

150、mscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Apr 2020,UK Google sites are the most-visited property in many other countries too Google sites also lead other countries most-visited properties in 2020.In our sample month of September 2020,Google sites had more visitors than any other property in Brazil,France,Ge

151、rmany,India,Spain and the United States.Facebook was the second most popular property in five of our eight comparison markets.Microsoft sites feature in the top ten properties of all the countries we examined.Multi-service properties Tencent Inc.and A Corporation were the most-visited properties in

152、China,with over 600 million and 500 million visitors respectively in September.Despite being blocked in mainland China,Google was the property with the tenth most visitors in this country,through access in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.33 News conglomerate properties were

153、 in the top tens of all the countries selected and featured heavily in many countries lists.In Australia,Rupert Murdochs NYPost Network was the third most-accessed property in September 2020,reaching 80%of the Australian adult online population,ahead of Mail Online/Daily Mail,accessed by 62%(compare

154、d with 82%in the UK).Brazils news properties Globo and UOL were closely behind Google and Facebook in September 2020 with online adult reach of 98%and 91%respectively.In India,the third most popular property in September was Times Internet Ltd.,the digital arm of Times Group,which is the largest new

155、s conglomerate in India.34 33 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2020,Brazil,China,France,Germany,India,Spain and USA 34 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2020,Australia,Brazil and India 01:0100:4000:0500:0500:0500:0400:0400:0300:0101:30Google SitesFacebookNetflix Inc.SpotifyMicrosoft Sit

156、esBytedance Inc.Snapchat,IncAmazon SitesBBC SitesVerizon MediaeBayTwitterApple Inc.Sky SitesReach GroupMail Online/Daily MailNews UK SitesOtherGoogleApril 2020Total average daily time spent online 4 hours 2 minutes OtherFacebook 24 Brazils state-owned financial services company Caixa,which also mana

157、ges lotteries,featured in Brazils top ten,as did e-commerce retailers MercadoLibre and B2W Digital,and news outlets R7 and Terra Networks(the latter of which also provides connectivity and e-commerce services).In India,Amazon was the highest-reaching e-commerce service,at 77%of online adults in Sept

158、ember 2020,although Indias own e-commerce service Flipkart,established by former Amazon employees35,is also popular,reaching 57%of online adults36.In 2018 Walmart acquired a 77%controlling stake in Flipkart for$16bn.37 Indias payment platform PAYTM(pay through mobile),reached 47%of online adults in

159、India in September 2020.38 Figure 1.21:Top ten properties accessed by adults online,by country,ranked by reach:September 2020 Australia Brazil China France Property Adult visitors Property Adult visitors Property Adult visitors Property Adult visitors 1 Microsoft sites 14.9m Google sites 112.3m TENC

160、ENT Inc.602m Google sites 40.6m 2 Google sites 14.2m Facebook 111.7m A Corp 505.5m Group Figaro 36.3m 3 NYPost Network 14m Globo 110.3m Q sites 369.4m Microsoft sites 36.2m 4 Mail Online,Daily Mail 10.7m UOL 102.2m S Inc.344.4m Facebook 34.3m 5 CafeMedia 9m Microsoft sites 78.4m B Inc.324.3m Webedia

161、 sites 29.4m 6 Verizon Media 8.6m CAIXA.GOV.BR 74.7m 360Buy Corporation 246.5m Verizon Media 27.4m 7 Hearst 8.4m Terra Networks 74.1m Bytedance Inc.236.7m Gruner+Jahr sites 26.6m 8 Amazon sites 6.8m MercadoLibre 65m PUNDUODUO.COM 226.4m Amazon sites 22.3m 9 9NEWS.COM.AU 5.8m B2W Digital 64m SINA Cor

162、poration 145.4m Group TF1 20.8m 10 Spotify 5.5m R7 Portal 61.9m Google Sites 133.4m DailyMotion 14.8m Germany India Spain United States Property Adult visitors Property Adult visitors Property Adult visitors Property Adult visitors 1 Google sites 50.9m Google sites 385m Google sites 32.2m Google sit

163、es 229.6m 2 Microsoft sites 43m Facebook 377.5m Facebook 31m Facebook 217.7m 3 Axel Springer SE 29m Times Internet Ltd.322.9m Vocento 29.6m Verizon Media 203.2m 4 Amazon sites 23.9m Amazon sites 302.3m RCS Media Group 29.3m Amazon sites 202.3m 35 The Times of India,Flipkart co-founder likely to quit

164、 after Walmart takeover,May 2018 36 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2020,India 37 Walmart,Walmart and Flipkart Announce Completion of Walmart Investment in Flipkart,Indias Leading Marketplace eCommerce Platform,August 2018 38 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2020,India 25 5 Facebook 1

165、9m Flipkart sites 223.4m Prisa 28.8m Microsoft sites 200.3m 6 eBay 16.3m TRUECALLER.COM 202.3m Prensa Ibrica 28m ViacomCBS Digital 190.3m 7 Hubert Burda Media 15.2m PAYTM.COM 185.3m Microsoft sites 26.9m WarnerMedia 178.9m 8 United-Internet 15.1m Reliance Jio 179.8m Grupo Gudo 26.8m Comcast 177.8m 9

166、 Spotify 14.6m Microsoft sites 158.7m Atresmedia 26.4m Apple Inc.165.4m 10 Webedia sites 13.5m Network 18 157.5m Amazon sites 23.9m Walt Disney Company 162.4m Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep 2020.Popular apps Google and Facebook-owned apps dominate the UKs top ten-reaching apps Forty-

167、two and a half million adults(94%of the online adult population)use apps on smartphones or tablets in the UK,and 39.9 million adults(88%of the online adult population)use apps on smartphones.YouTube was the most popular app across all mobile devices in the UK in September 2020,by reach and time spen

168、t per visitor per day.Users spent almost twice as much time on YouTube every day as on Facebook,which was in second place.Amazon is the only app in September 2020s top ten that is not owned by Facebook or Google.39 Figure 1.22:Top ten applications,by mobile reach and time spent per adult visitor per

169、 day:September 2020(Apple and Android)App owner September 2020 Reach Mobile adult reach Time spent by visitor per day 1 Alphabet YouTube 31.9m 75%31mins 56secs 2 Facebook Facebook 31.7m 74%16mins 46secs 3 Facebook WhatsApp 29.6m 70%7mins 36secs 4 Alphabet Google Search 23.9m 56%5mins 37secs 5 Alphab

170、et Google Maps 22.5m 53%2mins 18secs 6 Facebook Instagram 20.8m 49%6mins 45secs 7 Alphabet Gmail 20.4m 48%4mins 8secs 8 Amazon Amazon 19.2m 45%2mins 5 secs 9 Alphabet Google Play 18.4m 43%23secs 10 Facebook Facebook Messenger 18.2m 43%15mins 46secs Source:Comscore Mobile Metrix,App only,Adults 18+,S

171、ept 2020,UK.Note:Alphabet is Googles parent company.39 Comscore Mobile Metrix,App only,Age:18+,September 2020,UK 26 The top three apps on Android phones are Google-owned Figure 1.23 below shows that the most-used apps differ by operating system.Six of the top ten apps on Android phones are Google-ow

172、ned,three are Facebook-owned,and Samsungs Upday mobile app(pre-installed on Samsung phones)also features in the top ten.Google Play,Google Search,Gmail and YouTube come pre-installed on Android phones,which probably accounts for their high reach.Four of the top ten apps on iPhones are Facebook-owned

173、,while two are Google-owned.The weather channel and Apple News are the only pre-installed apps on iPhones that are in the top ten for reach.Looking at changes since 2019,WhatsApp messenger has increased its reach on both Android(+8pp)and iPhones(+4pp).Conversely,Instagram reach on iPhones has declin

174、ed(-18pp).Figure 1.23:Top ten smartphone apps,Android phones vs.iPhones,based on reach of mobile app universe Source:Comscore Mobile Metrix,Adults 18+,Sep 2020,UK.Note:Data for Apple imessage and Safari not measured.Online communications services Facebooks WhatsApp is the most popular messaging and

175、calling service in the UK,reaching 67%of online adults in September 2020 WhatsApp,which is used for instant messaging and voice and video calling,reached a peak of 31.4 million UK online adults in December 2020.Its largest month-on-month increase during 2020 was from March to April,when an additiona

176、l 1.1 million adults visited the service.Facebook Messenger,the second-highest reaching messaging and/or calling service,had a similar pattern of use,peaking at 21.1 million adult users in April 2020.40 Figure 1.24:UK adult users of WhatsApp site and/or apps and Facebook Messenger app:January Decemb

177、er 2020 40 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger,Age:18+,Mar,Apr and Dec 2020,UK 2020 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec WhatsApp 28.4m 28.2m 29.9m 31.0m 30.6m 30.2m 30.7m 30.7m 30.7m 30.8m 31.2m 31.4m 27 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Jan-Dec 2020,UK N

178、ote:*Facebook messaging service can also be accessed from the main Facebook platform;users who visited the service only via the main Facebook service are not included in this data.During the spring 2020 lockdown 83%of online over-15s in Britain,and 97%of 15-to 24-year-olds,said they used at least on

179、e Facebook-owned communication service for messaging at least monthly.Among 15-24s,80%said they used WhatsApp for messaging at least monthly,72%used Facebook Messenger and 67%used Instagram direct messaging at least monthly.41 In September 2020 Facebook introduced cross-app messaging and calling acr

180、oss Instagram and Messenger,enabling users to use either app to send messages and join video calls,and removing the need for connections to be on one app or the other.42 Figure 1.25:Proportion of online adults who said they used Facebook-owned messaging services at least monthly during the spring 20

181、20 lockdown,by service Source:TouchPoints,GB,spring 2020 lockdown.Base:all adults(15+)who have gone online in last 12 months.41 TouchPoints,GB,spring 2020 lockdown.Base:all adults(15+)who have gone online in last 12 months 42 Facebook Newsroom,Say to Messenger:Introducing New Messaging Features for

182、Instagram,Sept 2020 Facebook Messenger*22.0m 20.6m 16.4m 21.1m 20.3m 20.0m 20.0m 19.9m 18.2m 18.1m 18.2m 18.2m 28 Beyond the Facebook-owned services,there are various other online communications services available in the UK,all of which have a much smaller online UK adult reach than WhatsApp.In addi

183、tion,many apps and sites,including social media,also have messaging,voice and/or video-calling features;these are not listed in figure 1.26 below.Social media is explored in the next section,and some of the other services with communication features,such as dating sites and apps,are explored below.F

184、igure 1.26:UK adult reach of online messaging and calling services:September 2020 Rank Communications services Adult reach Online adult reach 1 WhatsApp 30.4m 67%2 Facebook Messenger app*20.4m 45%3 Microsoft teams 9.5m 21%4 Zoom 8.0m 18%5 Google duo app 3.3m 7%6 Skype 2.7m 6%7 Discord 2.3m 5%8 Viber

185、 1.63m 4%9 Telegram 1.23m 3%10 Kik 770k 1.7%11 Imo 733k 1.6%12 Houseparty 703k 1.5%13 Line 274k 0.6%14 WeChat 240k 0.6%15 Signal 137k 0.3%16 Kakao app 14k 0.1%Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.*Facebook messaging service can be

186、 accessed via the main Facebook app which is not counted here.Data for Apple imessage and FaceTime not measured.Zoom and Microsoft Teams were big winners in 2020 as people made more use of video-calling services During 2020,the coronavirus pandemic pushed people in the UK to use video-calling servic

187、es to keep in touch with friends and family as well as for business purposes and education.Zoom increased its reach during the spring 2020 lockdown,but fell back after an initial peak in April 2020,before settling into a pattern of steady growth over the rest of the year,and Microsoft Teams showed a

188、 steady increase in use over the whole of 2020.In contrast,Houseparty,which initially gained popularity during the spring 2020 lockdown and peaked at 4.6 million adults in March 2020,29 had only short-lived success;its adult UK reach declined over the rest of 2020 and the beginning of 2021.43 Figure

189、 1.27:UK adults using selected communication services with video-calling features:January 2020 March 2021 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Jan 2020-Mar 2021,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.2021 marks 50 years since the first email was sent:in September 2020 88%of UK online

190、 adults visited an email service44 In 1971 computer engineer Ray Tomlinson sent the first email,using software he had created SNDMSG and introduced the now ubiquitous symbol to separate the recipients name from their location.45 Despite the growth of messaging services,email reach remains high:88%vi

191、sited a service in September 2020 compared with 87%in September 2019.Google Gmail was the highest-reaching email service among adults in 2020,reaching 61%of the UK online adult population.46 A study conducted by Microsoft found that on its Microsoft 365 service,the number of emails delivered to comm

192、ercial and academic users globally in February 2021 was up by 40.6 billion since February 2020.47 Figure 1.28:Reach of selected email sites/apps to UK adults:September 2020 Ranks Email service Adult reach Online adult reach 1 Google Gmail 27.9m 61%43 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Houseparty,age:18+,20

193、20,UK 44 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,email,Age:18+,September 2020,UK 45 Guinness world records,1971:First Ever Email,19 Aug 2015 46 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Google Gmail,Age:18+,September 2020,UK 47 Microsoft,2021 Work Trend Index:Annual Report,22 March 2021.The number of emails delivered to comm

194、ercial and education customers via Microsoft Exchange Online in February,when compared to the same month last year 3.m3.3m5.3m6.5m7.2m7.6m7.7m7.5m9.5m10.7m11.3m10.7m13.8m 13.8m13.7m659k6.7m13.m13.2m10.7m8.7m7.2m8.m9.5m10.5m9.2m11.m10.8m10.4m1.6m1.6m2.3m2.5m2.7m3.m3.2m3.3m3.4m3.4m3.5m3.5m3.2m3.4m2.5m

195、2.2m4.4m4.9m4.1m3.4m3.7m5.2m2.7m2.6m3.m2.5m175k130k4.6m4.m2.1m1.m821k807k703k505k673k647k628k580k432kJan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20 Apr-20 May-20 Jun-20Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21 Mar-21MicrosoftTeamsZoomGoogle DuoAppSkype(Microsoft)HousepartySpring 2020 lockdown 30 2 O(Microsoft)1

196、4.0m 31%3 Verizon media mail sites(incl.Yahoo and AOL mails)9.3m 21%4 Samsung email app 5.0m 11%5 ParentMail(IRIS)933k 2%6 M 617k 1%Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.Twelve per cent(5.9 million)of online adults in Britain were

197、using online dating before the spring lockdown in 202048 Online dating services also provide online users with a form of direct communication via messaging and calls.Twelve per cent of all online adults and 22%of those aged 15-34 in Britain said they used an online dating service before the spring 2

198、020 lockdown.49 Match Group owns some of the most popular dating services:Tinder,Plenty of Fish,Hinge,M and OK Cupid,together reaching 7%of the adult UK online population.50 Tinder is most popular with young adults;it was visited by 11%of UK online 18-24s in September 2020.51 Plenty of Fish was the

199、most popular dating site for UK online 45-54s,with 4%visiting its site/app.52 During the pandemic,as more people looked to start relationships online,there arose instances of sweetheart or romance scams,where criminals use online dating services to manipulate users into sending them money or goods.T

200、his can involve victims losing money via money transfers and buying fraudsters gift cards or high-value gifts.The total value of these scams rose by 12%to 18.5m.There was a 20%increase in bank transfers related to romance scams in 2020 compared to 2019,according to UK Finance.53 Figure 1.29:Selected

201、 dating sites/apps reach to UK adults:September 2020 Rank Dating site and/or app Adult reach Online adult reach 1 Tinder 1.85m 4%2 Plenty of Fish(POF)1.34m 3%3 Badoo 723k 2%4 Bumble 663k 2%5 Grindr 378k 1%6 Zoosk 358k 1%7 Hinge app 323k 1%8 M 319k 1%48 TouchPoints,GB,pre-spring lockdown 2020.Base:al

202、l adults(15+)who have gone online in last 12 months 49 TouchPoints GB,pre-spring lockdown 2020.Base:all adults(15+)who have gone online in last 12 months 50 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,The Match Group,Age:18+,September 2020,UK 51 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Tinder,Age:18-24,September 2020,UK 52 Coms

203、core MMX Multi-Platform,POF sites Age:45-54,September 2020,UK 53 UK Finance,Romance scams on the up during lockdown accessed 22 April 2021 31 9 Secret Benefits 298k 1%10 Happn 290k 1%Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.Social med

204、ia Older social media using adults are more likely to have a Facebook profile Eighty-two per cent of adults aged 16+who go online have a social media profile,54 and Facebook and Instagram continue to be the most widely used platforms.Ninety-one per cent of social media users aged 65+use Facebook,and

205、 nearly half(49%)of these said it was the only social media service they used.Facebook is less popular with younger social media users;69%of 16-24s who use social media said they used Facebook.Among all social media users,57%said Facebook was their main service,with popularity increasing with age.Fo

206、urteen per cent said Instagram was their main service,and this was more popular with younger people nearly a quarter of 16-to 34-year-olds said it was their main service.55 while younger social media users prefer Instagram,Snapchat and TikTok Seventy-eight per cent of 16-24 year olds reported that t

207、hey used Instagram,compared to 18%of over-64s.TikTok was one of the platforms with big increases in number of users in 2020;more than half(54%)of 16-24s,said they had an active TikTok profile.However,like YouTube,users do not need a profile to use TikTok,so there will probably be more adult users th

208、an profiles.TikTok,and time spent on some social media services,are explored further in the Social video chapter.The average number of social media services used decreases with age,from 5.1 for social media users aged 16-24,to 1.9 for those aged 65+.Overall,the average number of sites or apps used b

209、y all social media users was 3.5.56 54 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 55 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 56 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 32 Figure 1.30:Use of social media sites or apps by social media users:2020 Source:Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 IN22.You

210、 said you had a profile or account on a social media site or app.Which social media sites or apps do you have a profile or account on that you still use?(multi-coded)showing responses of more than 10%of adults in 2020 aged 16+who use social media sites or apps.Reddit,Twitch and Tumblr not shown.Base

211、:All who use social media sites or apps,excluding those responding by post(2231 in 2020)Older adults are more likely than younger adults to use neighbourhood connection service Nextdoor Nextdoor is an app which aims to connect neighbours with each other,and to services and local businesses nearby.Ac

212、cording to Nextdoor,it is used by one in seven UK households,57 and at its peak in November 2020 reached 4.2 million UK adults.However,unlike many of the communication services which often skew younger in reach,Nextdoor was used mostly by over-54s,who comprised 54%of the 3.9 million UK adults visiti

213、ng the service in September 2020.Only 2%of the visitors were aged 18-24.58 Figure 1.31:Reach of selected community-and interest-based online connection services to UK adults:September 2020 Rank Sites/apps Adult reach UK Online adult reach 1 Nextdoor 3.9m 9%2 Meetup 498k 1%3 Meetme 154k 0.4%4 Twoo 49

214、k 0.1%57 Nextdoor,About 58 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Nextdoor,Age:18+,Nov and Sep 2020,UK 83%57%47%37%30%27%22%21%69%78%71%47%72%22%35%54%81%76%53%36%44%32%25%27%83%62%52%41%23%28%20%17%89%48%39%38%16%31%21%13%90%32%28%32%5%27%16%4%91%18%27%23%3%15%11%1%FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterSnapchatLinke

215、dInPinterestTikTok16+16-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465+33 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,September 2020,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.Case study:Clubhouse Clubhouse,founded in April 2020,is a social network app that offers live-audio-only conversations between users.It has g

216、rown to at least 10 million users globally over the space of a year and had a valuation of around$1bn in March 2020,despite the app being in beta testing.In May 2021,Clubhouse was valued at$4bn.59 User accounts are linked to a mobile phone number for identification purposes.Currently,Clubhouse is av

217、ailable only by invitation,and only existing users are allowed to invite others to the app.This exclusivity has led to a grey market for invitations,which are on sale from 5 to 200.According to Comscore,122,000 UK adults visited the Clubhouse app in March 2021(0.3%of the online UK digital population

218、).Of these adult visitors,34,000 were aged 18-24.60 Other platforms have also been developing audio services.Telegram added voice chats to its service in December 2020,61 and in April 2021 Instagram added new features to Instagram Live,enabling users to mute their microphones and turn their video of

219、f while using Instagram Live,allowing hosts to create an audio-only stream.62 In May 2021 Twitter launched Spaces,which permits accounts with 600 or more followers to host live audio conversations.63 Facebook is also reportedly testing a live web audio discussion service called Hotline.64 Gaming The

220、 most-used device for gaming among adults is the smartphone Research from Opinium shows that the overall UK gaming population increased by 63%over the course of the spring 2020 lockdown period and that over half of gamers agreed that gaming helped them get through lockdown.65 Ofcoms Adults Media Lit

221、eracy Tracker found that 62%of adults in the UK said they played games on an electronic device.Younger adults were more likely than older adults to say they did this,at 92%of 16-24s but only 30%of over-64s.66 The most widely used gaming device for all age groups is a mobile phone(used by 39%of adult

222、s).Gaming was equally popular among male and female adults,but mobile gaming was more popular among female gamers(43%of females)while computer/console gaming was more popular with males(29%/32%of males respectively).67 59 TechCrunch,Clubhouse closes an undisclosed$4bn valuation Series C round,as tec

223、h giants clones circle,19 April 2021 60 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Clubhouse:Drop in audio chat,Age:18+,March 2021,UK 61 Telegram,Voice Chats 2.0:Channels,Millions of Listeners,Recorded Chats,Admin Tools,19 March 2021 62 TechCrunch,Instagram Live takes on Clubhouse with options to mute and turn off

224、 the video,29 April 2021 63 Twitter blog,Spaces is here,lets chat,3 May 2021 64 BBC News,Facebook creates Clubhouse clone Live Audio Rooms,20 April 2021 65 Opinium,Gaming in the time of Covid-19:the rise of Covideogamers and how to retain them,5 October 2020 66 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 20

225、20 67 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 34 Figure 1.32:Devices used for gaming,at home or elsewhere:2020 Source:Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 G1.Do you ever play games at home or elsewhere in any of these ways?(multi-coded)Base:All adults aged 16+,including those responding by post

226、 who gave a response(3013 in 2020)Playing online with or against other people was also more popular with younger people,and with male gamers.Figure 1.33:Playing games online with or against other people,by age,socio-economic group and gender Source:Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 G3.Many ga

227、mes can be played online.Do you ever play games online with or against other people?(single coded)1%1%14%18%3%12%1%1%2%3%18%19%10%26%1%3%4%10%26%21%26%45%3%4%8%18%23%29%37%51%3%3%10%17%20%29%44%51%4%7%12%25%23%38%49%58%2%3%6%11%20%25%26%39%Wearable technologyVirtual reality gaming headset/deviceSmar

228、t TVHandheld games consoleTabletComputerGames console connected to a TVSmartphone16+16-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465+35 Base:All adults aged 16+,including those responding by post who gave a response(3010,varies by demographic)Half of all 16-to 64-year-old UK gamers surveyed by Ampere in Q2 2021 said the

229、y agreed or strongly agreed with the statement:“I only play free-to-play games”.However,just over a third of gamers had spent money on in-game items,currency or battle passes in the 30 days before the survey;this was the biggest category of spending,surpassing the average amounts spent on physical f

230、ull game purchases,digital full game purchases and games subscriptions.68 Among Us became the most popular gaming app among adults in the latter half of 2020 Among Us,which launched in 2018,is an online multiplayer social deduction game(a game in which players attempt to uncover other players hidden

231、 roles or team allegiances)which gained popularity during the pandemic to become the top mobile and PC game during 2020.Among Us was the most downloaded gaming app globally in 2020,with more than a quarter of a billion downloads.69 Social video platforms helped to drive awareness and growth of the g

232、ame;its success started in July 2020 on video-streaming platform Twitch,when high-profile gamers began streaming themselves playing it,and many YouTubers and TikTok influencers immediately followed suit.By the end of September 2020,60 million people across the world were playing Among Us every day.A

233、s can be seen in figure 1.34 below,it was the top-reaching games app among UK adults,more than half of whom(1.2 million)were aged 18-24.70 The growth of Among Us demonstrates that there is potential for games to take off quickly,alongside established games such as Candy Crush.But the games reach to

234、online adults on mobile devices has declined since 2020,perhaps because it has been available on Nintendo Switch since December 2020,or because after the initial play it has maintained its reach only among its most dedicated users.68 Ampere Analysis Games Consumer,Q2 2021,UK,age 16-64 69 Apptopia,Wo

235、rldwide&US Download Leaders 2020 7 January 2021 70 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Among Us!,Age:18+,2020,UK 36 Figure 1.34:UK adults use of selected games apps:January 2020 February 2021 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Jan 2020-Feb 2021,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.Health

236、 26.1 million UK adults visited the NHS online service in March 2021 Health,both physical and mental,has received a lot of attention during the past year as a result of the pandemic.The NHS site and app were used by 22.5 million UK adults in March 202071,the month the UK went into spring lockdown.Fo

237、llowing this initial spike,use of the NHS site and app dropped during the summer months of 2020,but in September 2020,following the roll-out of the Governments NHS Covid-19 track and trace app,there was another increase in reach,with the Department of Health announcing that the app had been download

238、ed 6 million times on its launch day.72 In 2021 adult use of the NHS site and app continued to increase while the UK was under winter lockdown restrictions.71 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,NHS Site and app.Age:18+,Mar 2020,UK.72 Gov.UK,NHS COVID-19 app has been downloaded over 10 million times,27 Sept

239、ember 2020 1.53m17k47k1.99m3.84m3.94m3.4m2.32m2.1m1.3m1.54m1.63m1.92m2.m1.84m1.96m2.02m1.77m1.39m1.6m1.62m1.82m1.23m1.49m26k23k23k30k27k21k1.23m1.39m1.09m1.32m1.49m978k785k650k.m.5m1.m1.5m2.m2.5m3.m3.5m4.mJan-20Feb-20Mar-20Apr-20May-20Jun-20Jul-20Aug-20Sep-20Oct-20Nov-20Dec-20Jan-21Feb-21Candy Crush

240、 SagaAmong Us!RobloxPokemon GOIdle Farming EmpireCandy Crush Soda Saga8 Ball PoolSubway Surfers 37 Figure 1.35:UK adult users of NHS sites and/or apps,by year Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,NHS Sites,Age:18+,Monthly 2018-2021,UK In February 2021 the Government said that more than 1.7 million app

241、 users across England and Wales had been advised to isolate by the NHS COVID-19 app,following close contact with someone who had gone on to test positive.73 In January 2021 24%of adults in England and Wales had accessed the NHS Covid-19 app.The StopCOVID NI app has had comparatively low reach compar

242、ed to apps for the other UK nations,perhaps because it does not have a checking-in feature for people to use when they visit a venue.74 Figure 1.36:Adult reach of Covid-19 tracker apps,by month Age:18+NHS Covid-19 app(England&Wales)Protect Scotland app StopCOVID NI September 2020 Reach 9.8m 1m 200k

243、Nation reach%21%24%3%October 2020 Reach 12.6m 1m 231k Nation reach%27%23%3%November 2020 Reach 11.1m 822k 89k Nation reach%24%19%1%December 2020 Reach 10.9m 828k 96k Nation reach%23%19%1%Reach 11.2m 821k 192k 73 Gov.UK,NHS COVID-19 app alerts 1.7 million contacts to stop spread of COVID-19,9 Feb 202

244、1 74 NIdirect.gov,Coronavirus(COVID-19):StopCOVID NI proximity app,22 April 2021 24.9m24.4m26.1m15.5m15.3m22.5m18.1m16.2m16.1m16.3m16.8m23.4m24.7m23.2m22.7m14.5m13.5m13.6m13.4m14.1m13.9m14.4m14.1m14.2m13.9m13.1m12.9m13.3m11.9m12.4m12.3m12.8m12.6m13.2m13.4m13.4m12.9m12.8m12.1mJanuaryFebruaryMarchApri

245、lMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember2021202020192018NHS Covid-19 app launched in September 2020 38 January 2021 Nation reach%24%19%3%February 2021 Reach 9.4m 724k 169k Nation reach%20%16%2%March 2021 Reach 10m 682k 47k Nation reach%21%15%1%Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Sep

246、 2020-Mar 2021,UK.Please note that nation reach has been modelled based on Comscore UK unique visitor figures and ONS nations population,so this figure may include users in the UK but not within the respective nation.Fitness trackers show that physical activity dropped during the spring 2020 lockdow

247、n There are a variety of fitness-related sites and apps available in the UK,offering individuals the ability to track their workouts,count steps and see workout instructions.Google-owned Fitbit,which tracks the number of steps an individual has taken,reached a peak of 3.5 million UK adult users in A

248、ugust 202075,by which time lockdown restrictions for some in the UK had eased.Fitbit data in March 2020 revealed a 9%decline in its users step count76.Some fitness apps available on the market combine fitness with entertainment.The UK-developed Zombies,Run!app provides running routes as part of a mi

249、ssion,in this case a Zombie chase storyline.According to the developers of the app,the UK is its second biggest market(behind the US)and the app is used by half a million people per month globally.The Running Stories app,which was piloted in Singapore in November 2020,is an audio-tainment platform t

250、hat turns running routes into immersive experiences using live data,to motivate users 77.Data from App Annie show that spend on health and fitness apps grew by 70%in 2020.78 75 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Fitbit,Age:18+,August 2020,UK.76 Fitbit blog,The Impact Of Coronavirus On Global Activity,23 Ma

251、rch 2020.77 Running stories 78 App Annie,State of mobile report 2021 39 Figure 1.37:UK adult reach of selected health sites and apps:Jan-Dec 2020 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Jan-Dec 2020,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.Learning Language learning app Duolingo is the mo

252、st popular education app The pandemic moved formal learning online as schools and universities closed.BBC Bitesize was the top-reaching formal learning site/app among adults79,many of whom were likely to be logging on to help children.There was also an increase in take-up of informal learning servic

253、es.Ofcom research,which passively monitors app use on smartphones and tablets,found that just under a quarter of participants were using education apps.Use was slightly higher among women than men(25%vs.21%)and in the 35-44 age bracket,where a third said they used education apps.80 Language learning

254、 app Duolingo is the most popular education app.This app was launched ten years ago,in 2011,and at its peak in 2020 reached 1.77 million UK adults.81 Duolingo reported that globally,30 million new users took up learning a language in the weeks after global lockdown,and that in 2020 Spanish was the m

255、ost popular language being studied on the app.82 It also found that Welsh was the fastest-growing language in the UK the number of people using its service to learn Welsh increased by 44%in 2020.83 79 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,BBC Bitesize,Age:18+,2020,UK 80 Ofcom/Reality Mine,September 2020 to Fe

256、bruary 2021 81 Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Duolingo app,Age:18+,May 2020,UK 82 Duolingo Blog,2020 Duolingo Language Report:Global Overview,15 Dec 2020 83 BBC News,Welsh is fastest growing language in UK,says Duolingo,17 Dec 2020 3.32m3.m2.87m3.17m3.21m3.27m3.23m3.49m3.13m3.26m3.09m3.34m2.48m2.32m2.2

257、4m2.28m2.46m2.48m2.48m2.42m2.39m2.48m2.32m2.27m1.97m1.85m1.9m1.87m1.93m1.97m1.98m2.01m2.16m2.14m2.16m2.2m1.73m1.48m1.47m1.81m2.15m2.51m2.23m2.06m2.27m2.14m2.31m2.06m2.83m2.31m2.4m2.83m3.03m2.95m2.78m2.85m2.68m2.36m1.98m1.85m.72m.72m.74m1.32m1.51m1.48m1.3m1.3m1.15m1.26m1.3m1.16m.35m.28m.28m.27m.28m.2

258、9m.31m.29m.3m.29m.27m.3m222k233k252k410k497k437k415k298k258k314k208k223kJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovember December2020FitbitSamsung Health AppSweatcoin AppApple Health AppUnder ArmourConnected FitnessStrava Running andCycling AppGoogle Fit AppOne You Couch to 5KApp 4

259、0 Figure 1.38:UK adults use of selected learning/educational sites and apps:Jan-Dec 2020 Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform,Age:18+,Jan-Dec 2020,UK Note:Custom list of entities defined by Ofcom.Online harms and attitudes to regulation Two in three adult internet users say they usually accept website

260、 or app terms and conditions without reading them Our research suggests that most people skip service terms and conditions,where the ways in which services collect and use their users data may be set out.In 2020,66%agreed with the statement“when I visit websites or apps I usually accept the terms an

261、d conditions without reading them”.Those aged 16-54 were more likely than over-54s(35%vs.25%)to agree strongly with this statement.84 but one in five adult internet users say they are not happy about companies collecting and using their personal information In 2020,21%of adult internet users said th

262、ey were not happy for companies to collect and use their personal information under any circumstances.Younger internet users were less likely than average to say this(9%for 16-24s).85 However,just over half(54%)of users were happy if they were reassured about the use of this data;for example,having

263、clarity on how the information would be used.Additionally,more than half(56%)are happy if they receive a benefit of some kind as a consequence of allowing access to the data;for example,getting access to a free service.More 84 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 85 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy T

264、racker 2020 1.57m1.06m1.87m3.02m2.76m2.38m1.24m.56m1.65m2.17m2.43m1.88m1.1m1.03m1.42m1.58m1.77m1.72m1.61m1.44m1.69m1.44m1.55m1.38m290k279k541k691k686k586k448k235k377k488k582k796k1.81m1.26m1.12m861k852k887k402k212k879k1.16m1.09m748k635k659k1.96m1.77m1.58m1.15m755k453k807k895k908k716kBBC BitesizeDuoli

265、ngoKahoot!ASQuizletTwinklUdemyHegarty MathsTTRockstars 41 young people are motivated by receiving benefits in exchange 73%of 16-to 24-year-olds said they would exchange information in return for a benefit,compared to 38%of those aged 65+.86 Figure 1.39:Attitudes towards online companies collecting u

266、sers personal information online:2020 Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 IN53.Please read the full list of statements below about how people feel about online companies collecting and using their personal information(e.g.their name,address,telephone number etc).If you agree with any of

267、these statements,please just select them.I am happy for companies to collect and use my personal information if.(multi-coded)Base:All who go online,excluding those responding by post.(2776 in 2020)Younger adult internet users were more likely to agree that people should be able to hide their identit

268、y online to express their views anonymously Debate around the ability to express ones views anonymously has increased in the past year,including in the wake of anonymous racist abuse directed towards sportsmen and sportswomen online.Adult internet users in the UK were slightly more likely to agree(3

269、8%)than disagree(34%)that people should be able to express their views anonymously,although 28%chose neither/dont know.Those in the younger age brackets are more likely to value anonymity,as are men,while over-44s are more likely to value transparency of views.87 86 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Track

270、er 2020 87 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 42 Twenty-one per cent of adult internet users think that sites have an important role in supporting people to express their views freely,even when some users might find the content offensive,with 38%of adults thinking it is important for sites to

271、monitor and delete offensive views and to protect their users.88 Figure 1.40:Agreement with the statement:“I think people should have the right to hide their identity online in order to express their views anonymously”,by age and demographic group:2020 Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020

272、 IN35C.Were going to show some things that other people have said about being online.To what extent do you agree or disagree with each statement-I think people should have the right to hide their identity online in order to express their views anonymously.Base:Adults aged 16+who go online,excluding

273、those responding by post(2776 aged 16+,varies by demographic).Nearly half of internet users disagreed that people should be allowed to say what they want online The increased use of the internet and the popularity of social media services have given individuals opportunities to express themselves,bu

274、t many argue that there should be limits on what can be said online.In 2020,nearly half(47%)of adult internet users disagreed with:“I think it is important that people can say what they want online even if it is controversial or hurtful to others.”Disagreement is more prevalent among women and those

275、 over the age of 44.89 88 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 89 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 43 Figure 1.41:Agreement with the statement:“I think it is it is important that people can say what they want online even if it is controversial or hurtful to others.”,by age and gender:202

276、0 Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 IN35D.Were going to show some things that other people have said about being online.To what extent do you agree or disagree with each statement I think it is important that people can say what they want online even if it is controversial or hurtful t

277、o others.Base:Adults aged 16+who go online,excluding those responding by post(2776 aged 16+,varies by demographic).Three in five adult internet users agree that people must be protected from seeing inappropriate or offensive conduct Concern about protection from inappropriate or offensive content is

278、 high across all age groups.Seven in ten of those over 64 agreed that internet users should be protected,while 29%aged 16-24 disagreed.Figure 1.42:Agreement with the statement:“Internet users must be protected from seeing inappropriate or offensive content”:2020 44 Source:Ofcom Adults Media Literacy

279、 Tracker 2020 IN35A.Were going to show some things that other people have said about being online.To what extent do you agree or disagree with each statement.Internet users must be protected from seeing inappropriate or offensive content(single coded)Base:All adults aged 16+who go online,excluding t

280、hose responding by post(2776 aged 16+,varies by demographic).76%of people say they have been exposed to at least one potential harm The majority of respondents(54%)cited spam email as the type of potential harm they had been exposed to;45%had been exposed to content-related harm such as negative bod

281、y image,with 38%exposed to contact harm such as bullying.90 Figure 1.43 below shows the proportion of people who came across different types of content or contact harms.Figure 1.43:Proportion who had experienced harm in the past four weeks 90 Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21).Q5.Which,if any,

282、of the following have you seen or experienced online in the last 4 weeks?1%2%3%4%5%6%6%7%9%9%10%11%14%14%23%Content promoting self harmContent encouraging radicalisation or terrorismSexual or pornographic contentVideos or content glamourising unhealthy or abusive lifestylesVideos or content encourag

283、ing racismViolent content/videosContent relating to negative body image/eating disordersOffensive or upsetting videos/picturesHarmful and misleading advertisingHate speech/speech encouraging violenceOffensive or upsetting languageFake or deceptive images/videosAlternative viewpoints/theoriesContent

284、encouraging gamblingMisinformationContent harms 45 Source:Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)Q5.Which,if any,of the following have you seen or experienced online in the last 4 weeks?Base:All respondents,(n 4,242)Note:Spam/fraud is not categorised as a content or contact harm and is therefore no

285、t presented in this figure.The most common source of potential harm was email(45%of those who had seen or experienced any of the potential harms);this is linked to the number who cited spam email as the harm they had encountered.Of those who had encountered a harm via email,84%said that this had bee

286、n a spam email.Twenty-seven per cent had seen a harm on social media,4%on instant messenger and 4%on an online video-sharing service such as YouTube or TikTok.The majority of those who had experienced content or contact harm had seen it on social media.91 Figure 1.44 shows where people have come acr

287、oss harms,categorised by content and contact harms.Spam/fraud does not fall into either of these categories.91 Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)1%1%1%1%2%2%3%4%4%6%13%13%Stalking/cyberstalkingPressure to send photos/personal informationGriefing(a player in a multiplayer game intentionally har

288、assing you)Online conversations or calls recorded without consentCyber-flashingSpending too much money on in-app purchasing/giftsSale of illegal goods onlinePeople pretending to be another person e.g.catfishingCancel cultureBullying,abusive behaviour,or threatsUnwelcome friend/follow requests or mes

289、sagesTrollingContact harms 46 Figure 1.44:The online service where harm was seen Source:Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)Q9.:Site service used when experienced harm.Base:All who experienced at least one content harm most recently in the last four weeks,Wave 1-4 n=880;All who experienced at le

290、ast one content harm most recently in the last four weeks through a social media website or app,Wave 1-4 n=523 Figure 1.45:Top ten actions taken after seeing content or contact harms Source:Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)Q19.When you saw.on that occasion,which of the following actions did y

291、ou take,if any?59%11%8%5%3%3%Social mediaNews site or appServices where videosposted by other usersInstant messengerSearch engineEmailContent harmsContact harms54%11%6%5%4%4%Social mediaInstant messengerServices where videosposted by other usersGaming site/appNews site or appEmail17%14%13%9%4%3%3%3%

292、2%2%Clicked the report buttonUnfollowed/blocked the userTold a friend or family memberComplained to the website or appChanged the way I use the serviceReposted/forwarded the content tohighlight it was wrongContacted others in the community tomake them awareContacted the user responsibleClosed my acc

293、ount/left the serviceInformed my internet service provider27%12%10%8%3%2%2%1%1%1%Unfollowed/blocked the userClicked the report buttonTold a friend or family memberComplained to the website or appContacted others in the communityto make them awareClosed my account/left the serviceChanged the way I us

294、e the serviceInformed my internet serviceproviderContacted the user responsibleReposted/forwarded the contentto highlight that it was wrongContent harmsContact harms 47 Base:All who experienced at least one content harm most recently in the past four weeks,wave 1-4 n=880,All who experienced at least

295、 one contact harm most recently in the past four weeks,wave 1-4 n=546 Users who experienced contact harms were more likely than those experiencing content harms to cite not directly impacted as a reason not to act Not being directly impacted was the most common reason users gave for taking no action

296、 after coming across any type of harm.Our research found that 26%of people who saw something harmful online didnt take action because they werent directly affected,25%didnt see the need to do anything,20%didnt think it would make a difference and 18%said they couldnt be bothered.Figure 1.46,below,ra

297、nks the top reasons for users not taking action,based on the type of harm they saw online.92 Figure 1.46:Top barriers to taking action against content or contact harms Source:Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)Q20.You mentioned you did not take any action.Why was this?Base:All who experienced a

298、t least one content harm most recently in the past four weeks and took no action,wave 1-4 n=395;All who experienced at least one contact harm most recently in the past four weeks and took no action,wave 1-4 n=232 Two in five of those who had reported a harm said they were aware of the result of the

299、report The majority(70%)who had reported a harm said that nothing yet had happened,while 17%said the content had been removed,6%had received a written response and 3%had been asked to provide further information.Seventy-six per cent of those who had seen spam emails said that 92 Pilot Online Harms S

300、urvey(Nov 20 Feb 21)25%23%22%22%15%12%12%9%I didnt think it would make a differenceI didnt consider it bad enough to act onI didnt see the need to do anythingI wasnt directly impactedI couldnt be botheredI didnt know what to doI think people are allowed to do/saywhat they want onlineI didnt consider

301、 it to be offensive orharmful29%26%22%18%17%15%13%8%I wasnt directly impactedI didnt see the need to do anythingI didnt think it would make a differenceI didnt know what to doI didnt consider it bad enough to act onI didnt consider it offensive or harmfulI couldnt be botheredI think people are allow

302、ed to say/dowhat they want onlineContent harmsContact harms 48 nothing yet had happened as a result of their reporting.Figure 1.47 looks at the results of reporting,dependent on the type of harm seen by respondents.93 Figure 1.47:Result of reporting content and contact harms NET:Aware of result 38%N

303、othing yet 62%The content was removed 26%I got a written response 6%I was asked to provide further information 6%Source:Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)Q21.You mentioned you reported the.What happened as a result?Base:All who experienced at least one content harm most recently in the last fo

304、ur weeks and reported it,Wave 1-4 n=236,All who experienced at least one contact harm most recently in the last four weeks and reported it,Wave 1-4 n=119 93 Pilot Online Harms Survey(Nov 20 Feb 21)49 2.Children Introduction Figure 2.1:UK children online key metrics 2020 Aged 5-15 Aged 5-7 Aged 8-11

305、Aged 12-15 Used social media 55%30%44%87%Used messaging services 65%33%64%91%Watched content on video-sharing platforms 97%95%96%99%Were aware of online reporting functions-69%Had a negative experience online-55%Source:Ofcoms Childrens and Parents Media Literacy Tracker 2020/21 Surveys 1 and 2,2020/

306、21.This chapter,using research conducted by Ofcom and others,as well as industry data,examines the take-up and use of online services and technologies by children in the UK,and childrens attitudes to,and experiences of,using those services.It looks at how children are served by online content provid

307、ers and platforms,and how the providers business models monetise childrens use of online services.Finally,it looks at the risks to children online and the measures children themselves,and online platforms,take to mitigate the risk of harm online.This chapter reports on data from 2020 and early 2021,

308、a period in which children and young peoples lives were heavily disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.As a result,even for the generation of children that we consider to be digital natives,online communications and media played a more central role in many of their lives than ever befor

309、e.Access to reliable broadband and online services allowed many children to join online classrooms,to keep in touch with their friends and extended family,and to keep themselves entertained.But experiences over the past year have differed significantly among children and young people.Children and yo

310、ung people are not,of course,a homogenous group:their offline and online behaviours,attitudes and experiences differ due to a range of factors.These include age and developmental stage,gender,location,socio-economic background,health conditions,levels of literacy and education,and family situation.T

311、his chapter focuses primarily on children aged 5-15 years old living across the UK,drawing out the differences,where the data allow,that may shape online behaviours,attitudes and experiences.For detail on pre-school-age children,please see our Children and parents:media use and attitudes 2020/21 rep

312、ort,which takes an in-depth look at the online use and behaviours of children aged 3-4 years.50 Childrens internet take-up and use Almost all UK children have access to the internet at home Most children today are active online from a very early age,having been born into an online world.In many inst

313、ances children and young people are the early adopters of popular websites and apps,driving the trends we later see among adults:many have never known a world without the iPhone(launched in 2007),the iPad(launched in 2010)or even the smart speaker(launched in 2014).In 2003,the year in which 2021s 18

314、-year-olds were born,just half of UK homes were connected to the internet.94 Ofcoms 2021 Technology Tracker indicated that 99%of households with children aged under 18 had access to the internet at home.95 However,this does not necessarily mean that all connections were reliable,or adequate for the

315、needs of the household.Four per cent of households with children who had internet access at home did not have fixed broadband and only had internet access via mobile data(e.g.a 3G,4G or 5G connection)or mobile broadband(e.g.a dongle).A mobile internet-only connection might not be sufficient for many

316、 families,with data use typically constrained(compared to the unlimited data typical of fixed broadband services),generally slower download speeds and potentially more than one child relying on a single point of connection.Relying on a mobile-only connection can also be costly,particularly if a user

317、 on a post-pay subscription exceeds their data allowance.Ofcoms Covid-19 Affordability Tracker showed that in 2020,8%of mobile internet-only households said they had experienced an affordability issue with their mobile service.96 Figure 2.2:Internet access in UK households with and without children:

318、2021 Children aged 0-17 in the household Access to internet in the household Method of connecting the internet at home,among households with internet access Yes No Fixed broadband Mobile broadband Mobile data Tethering97 Mobile internet only98 Yes 99%1%94%16%57%26%4%94 Ofcom,Internet and Broadband U

319、pdate,January 2004 95 Ofcom Technology Tracker CATI omnibus survey,March 2021(fieldwork 12 February to 5 March 2021)96 Ofcom Covid-19 Affordability Tracker,fieldwork June to October 2020,For more information on our research on the affordability of communications services,please see Affordability of

320、communications services:A summary of initial findings,18 December 2020 97 Tethering refers to accessing the internet on a device,such as a laptop or tablet,using a mobile phones internet connection 98 Mobile internet-only refers to households that do not have a fixed broadband connection,and whose o

321、nly methods of accessing the internet is through a mobile phone or other mobile broadband device(for example,a dongle)51 No 92%8%91%15%45%19%6%Source:Ofcom Technology Tracker CATI omnibus survey,fieldwork 12 February to 5 March 2021.KDR06:Do you or does anyone in your household have access to the in

322、ternet at home(via any device,e.g.PC,mobile phone)?(Base:3126).KDR07:Which of these methods does your household use to connect to the internet at home?(Base:2918).7-to 16-year-olds who go online said they spent 3 hours 48 minutes a day online Self-reported data from CHILDWISE found that between Sept

323、ember and November 2020,children aged 7-to 16-years old who went online estimated that they spent 3 hours 48 minutes a day online on average.99 Time spent online increased with age,rising from the 2 hours 54 minutes spent by 7-to 8-year-olds to the 4 hours and 54 minutes spent by 15-to 16-year-olds.

324、Of all groups,older boys spent the most amount of time online on average.Half of 15-to 16-year-old boys said they spent more than six hours a day online,compared to a third of 15-to 16-year-old girls.100 Lockdown affected both childrens screen time and how their parents managed it.Ofcoms Life in Loc

325、kdown study found that the disturbance to childrens routines meant that childrens time became much less structured,and they tended to spend longer online.101 Perhaps unsurprisingly,given the unusual circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic,parents adjusted how they managed their children

326、s online use.Ofcoms quantitative childrens media literacy research showed that half of parents of 5-to 15-year-olds who went online felt the need to relax some of the rules about what their child did online because they were at home more than usual.102 But despite increases in childrens screen time

327、over 2020,the majority of parents said that their child had a good balance between screen time and doing other things(59%).103 99 CHILDWISE Monitor Report 2021,fieldwork September 2020 to November 2020.For more information,please see:http:/www.childwise.co.uk/100 CHILDWISE Monitor Report 2021 101 Of

328、com,Childrens Media Lives:Life in Lockdown,August 2020 102 Ofcom,Childrens and Parents Media Literacy Tracker 2020/21 103 Ofcom,Childrens and Parents Media Literacy Tracker 2020/21 52 Figure 2.3:Childrens estimated time spent online Source:CHILDWISE Monitor Report 2021 Device take-up and use Tablets

329、 are the starter device for young children Tablets are an important device for young children to access the internet,probably because of the larger screen size,making them easy for young children to use and for parents to monitor.Our quantitative childrens media literacy research found that seven in

330、 ten 5-to 15-year-olds used a tablet to go online in 2020,compared to half of adults.104 Tablets were the device younger children most commonly used to go online,but as children got older and became mobile phone owners,use of a mobile phone outstripped use of a tablet.In 2020,half of children owned

331、their own phone by the age of ten,and ownership was nearly universal by the age of 13(95%).105 Three-quarters of 5-to 15-year-olds used a gaming device(console or player)in 2020,marking an increase on the previous year as children sought to keep themselves entertained at home.Use of gaming devices w

332、as higher among older children and boys,with 12-to 15-year-old boys most likely using one(93%).106 According to research by CHILDWISE,boys aged 5-16 were more likely than girls of the same age to own a console(76%of boys vs.43%of girls),while girls were more likely than boys to share access.A fifth

333、of girls aged 5-16(22%)said they used someone elses console to play games at home,compared to 8%of boys.107 104 Ofcom,Adults Media Literacy Tracker 2020 105 Ofcom,Childrens and Parents Media Literacy Tracker 2020/21 106 Ofcom,Childrens and Parents Media Literacy Tracker 2020/21 107 CHILDWISE Monitor Report 2021 53 Figure 2.4:Devices used to go online by children,by age:2020 Source:Ofcoms Childrens