Youth Survey on Usage of Internet and Social Network Websites

1. Youth Survey on Usage of Internet and Social Network Websites HKUPOP Dr Robert T. Y. Chung Director of Public Opinion Programme, HKU June 8, 2010

2. Research Background Objective: To understand Hong Kong youths’ usage of the Internet, including social network websites, and their views on Internet security. POP consulted Microsoft and HKCSS in designing the questionnaire while POP enjoyed full autonomy in fieldwork operation, data collection and data analysis. POP takes full responsibility for all findings reported. The research methodology and all survey findings are released for public consumption.

3. Contact Information Date of survey ： April 22 to May 12, 2010 Target ： Cantonese speaking youths aged 12 to 23 Survey method ： Random telephone interviews by real interviewers Sample size ： 825 successful cases (including 3 cases without online experience in the past 12 months) Effective response rate ： 77.0% (based on the number of eligible target respondents) Standard error ： 1.7%, meaning that the sampling error of percentages are not more than +/-3.5% at 95% confidence level

4. Survey Findings

5. Q1 Have you surfed or used the Internet in the past 12 months? Used the Internet in the past 12 months? • Reasons for not getting online： • No computer/tool to get online • (2 respondents) • - No need (1 respondent) (Base=825)

6. Q2 What is/are your major reason(s) of surfing the Internet? Q2 to Q18 only for respondents who have used the Internet in the past 12 months Major purposes for getting online (Base=820，Multiple answers allowed)

7. Q3 How much time do you spend on surfing the Internet a week? Please include all your online activities, like sending and receiving emails, doing homework, writing blog (personal diary), browsing social network websites, playing games, searching for information etc. Number of hours spent online per week (Base=820)

8. Cross tabulation - Number of hours young people getting online x Age and Education (Subsample size：ranging from 255 to 278) (Subsample size for “Primary or below” is 25, while that for other groups ranges from 118 to 258)

9. Q4 Apart from your home, where do you usually get access to the Internet? (Do not read out answers, multiple responses allowed) Locations where young people got online apart from home (Base=822，Multiple answers allowed)

10. Q5 Apart from computer, have you used any of the following tools to get access to the Internet? (Read out below answers, order to be randomized by computer, multiple answers allowed) Tools young people used to get online apart from computer (Base=822， Multiple answers allowed)

11. Q6 Have you been constrained or monitored when you surf on the Internet? Like when to surf the Internet, what to do on the Internet, what kinds of websites to be browsed etc. Constrained or monitored when surfing the Internet? (Base=822)

12. Cross tabulation – Constrained or monitored when surfing the Internet x Age and Education (Subsample size：ranging from 260 to 281) (Subsample sizefor “Primary or below” is 26 while that for other groups ranges from 120 to 261)

13. Q7 Do you browse social network websites regularly? For example, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc. Used social network websites? (Base=822)

14. Q8 (Only for those who have used social network websites) Which social network websites do you browse the most? (Do not read out answers, multiple answers allowed) (Only for those who have used social network websites) Most popular social websites among young people (Base=715， Multiple answers allowed)

15. Q9 (Only for those who have used social network websites) How many times do you usually browse these social network websites a week? (Only for those who have used social network websites) Number of hours spent on social websites per week (Base=719)

16. Number of hours getting online and using social websites(per week) x Gender (Hours) # Comparison between male and female are not proved to be statistically significant. (Subsample size：Ranging from 351 to 407) *Only for respondents who used social network websites. Comparison between male and female are proved to be statistically significant.

17. Q10 (Only for those who have used social network websites) Why would you spend time on these social network websites? (Do not read out answers, multiple answers allowed) (Only for those who have used social network websites) Reasons for browsing social websites Base=719， Multiple answers allowed)

18. Q11 Do you concern or worry about the privacy and security issues when they are using the Internet or social network websites? Concern about Internet privacy and security? (Base=822)

19. Q12 Have you encountered any of the following problems or risks in the past 12 months? (Read out below answers, order to be randomized by computer, multiple answers allowed) Encountered the following problems or risks? (Base=822，Multiple answers allowed)

20. Cross tabulation – Internet privacy and security problems encountered (Top 3)x Age (Subsample size：ranging from 260 to 281)

21. Q13 Do you think it is easy or not for young people to get in touch with the following information or content from the Internet? (Read out below answers, order to be randomized by computer, multiple answers allowed) Easily accessed by young people for the following information or contents? (Base=822，Multiple answers allowed)

22. Q14 Do you know any measures that can protect your privacy and security online? (Do not read out answers, multiple answers allowed) Knowledge about Internet privacy and security measures (Base=820，Multiple answers allowed)

23. Q15 So what measures have you taken to protect your privacy and security now? (Do not read out answers, multiple answers allowed) Internet privacy and security measures adopted (Base=817，Multiple answers allowed)

24. Q16 (Only for those who do not take any preventive measures) Why don’t you take any measures?(Do not read out answers, multiple answers allowed) (Only for those who did not take any preventive measures) Reasons for not adopting any security measures (Base=107，Multiple answers allowed)

25. Q17 From which channel(s) do you usually receive educational information of Internet security? (Do not read out answers, multiple answers allowed) Channels for receiving Internet security information (Base=820，Multiple answers allowed)

26. Q18 If you have questions on Internet security, who/where will you seek help?(Do not read out answers, single answers allowed ) People to look upon to when having Internet security problems (Base=821，Multiple answers allowed)

27. Cross tabulation – People to look upon to in times of trouble x Age (Subsample size：ranging from 260 to 280)

28. Conclusion • Young people of age 12 to 23 on average spend about 20 hours each week online. Almost 90% have the habit of using social network websites, spending about 8 hours each week. • About 80% said they have not been constrained or monitored when surfing the Internet, also about 80% said they are concerned about online privacy and security. • More than 40% know that installing anti-virus software and not exposing personal information causally could protect their privacy, but only about one-third put them into practice. • About 20% had their computers attacked by hackers or viruses, more than 5% had their personal contacts or photos published, or had been insulted by others online. • “Schools/teachers/textbooks” are the main channels through which young people receive information about Internet security, but when they have problems, 40% would seek help from “friends/classmates” first, one-quarter would go to “family members and relatives” first.

29. End