57 Percent of Population Do not Use Internet

KONDA, a company carrying out public opinion polls and research, published a study on the "Use of the Internet and Social Media".

According to the study, 57 percent of the population in Turkey has not used the internet at all up to now. 42 percent deem the internet harmful and the section using the internet the least are housewives. Considering political parties, supporters of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) use the internet the most while the electorate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is using it the least. The increase of internet users supporting the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was assessed a "striking" result.

The field study was carried out in January 2011 and is based on personal interviews with a total of 2,728 adults in 36 provinces, 115 counties, 154 districts and villages. The purpose of the study was to identify trends and changes of political preferences and to measure the use of social media, internet usage habits and which fields in the internet are being used how frequently.

AKP electorate use internet the least

The study aimed at revealing how and to what extend the change in the use of the internet influenced the society. Read here a summary of the findings:

* The course lead by students, white collar workers and people with a high level of education and income was followed last by the housewives who make up one third of the population.

* The time spent in the internet is the strongest influence on the people's view of the internet and according habits.

* Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter take up an important part of the internet use and more or less represent the average group of internet users.

* The internet is mostly used for fun and communication. However, the internet was also adopted as a place to obtain information, search for a job and do banking and shopping.

* As far as political parties are being concerned, supporters of the opposition CHP take the lead in the use the internet. Supporters of the BDP more and more realized the power of the internet in political terms. Supporters of the AKP are the group that uses internet the least.

* The age group of the 18 to 28-year-olds use the internet intensively and are the messengers of a different generation.

* The adoption rate for the internet use of BDP supporters and their utilization of the internet as a political medium were found rather striking.

* Religious persons, both modest ones and hardliners, are the group that leads the use of the internet for the purpose of research into health and religion topics. This group embraced the possibilities of the internet differently than the rest of the society, the study pointed out.

42 percent find internet harmful

One of the interesting findings of the KONDA study is the fact that 42 percent of the population in Turkey deem the internet much more harmful rather than useful.

29 percent of the interviewees found the internet useful; 29 percent did not comment on this topic.

The proportions revealed by the study indicate a range of versatility regarding whether people accessed the internet or not, if yes how often and whether they were members of social networking sites. It was ascertained that doubts about the usefulness of the internet decreased with an increased use of the medium.

According to the study, the number of people who deem the internet harmful was proportional to increased age and low levels of education and income. (EKN/VK)