Turkey's internet usage habits revealed: Men share more

With developing and increasing technological capabilities, internet usage is becoming increasingly widespread in Turkey. In particular, infrastructure investments and improvements in internet speeds are enabling this technology to be used by large masses.

According to data compiled by an AA correspondent, the widespread adoption of smartphones, the popularity of social media platforms, and the rise of video-sharing sites and digital games have led to young people in particular spending more time on the internet.

The simplification of transactions through internet banking and the shift of shopping to e-commerce platforms are also among the factors contributing to the widespread use of the internet.

Individuals use the internet for various specific purposes, ranging from messaging to making voice and video calls, sending and receiving emails, spending time on social media, listening to and downloading music, and banking.

According to the "Household Information Technologies Usage Survey" for this year, released by the Turkish Statistical Institute, individuals used the internet most frequently in the last 3 months for messaging, making voice and video calls, sharing photos on social media, and watching videos.

The rate of those using the internet for messaging via applications such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype, BiP, and Viber reached 95.5 percent. Among the participants in the survey, 96.2 percent of men and 94.8 percent of women used these applications for messaging.

During the same period, another purpose for which individuals used the internet was to make voice and video calls through these applications. The proportion of those using applications such as WhatsApp, Facetime, Messenger, Skype, and Snapchat for this purpose was calculated at 93.5 percent. 92.4 percent of men and 94.7 percent of women used the internet to make voice and video calls.

Creating profiles, sending messages, or sharing photos on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter) were also among the reasons for the most frequent use of the internet. While 87.5 percent of individuals used the internet to share content on social media, 89.4 percent of men and 85.5 percent of women spent time on the internet for the same reason.

80 percent of individuals used the internet to watch videos from sharing sites such as YouTube, Daily Motion, and Twitch. 80.9 percent of men and 78.9 percent of women who participated in the research used these platforms.

The research also included online services that individuals purchased or subscribed to for personal use.

Accordingly, in the last 3 months, 23.9% of individuals purchased online services to listen to music, while 23.1% did so to watch movies or TV series.

Furthermore, 22.5 percent of those participating in the research stated that they purchased bus, train, or flight tickets via a website or application. 19.1 percent of individuals used online services for internet or mobile phone connection subscriptions, 18 percent for downloading software, and 13.3 percent for event tickets such as concerts, cinema, sports events, and fairs.