Google makes the portrait of the online Romanian

A study part of “Internet in daily life” project, made by IIBR for Google and covering 5 markets (Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland), shows Romanians are the most mobile users in the European region covered by the research.

According to the study, Romanians start their day online, write on blogs and are very open towards new tech. Romanians appreciate tablets and smartphones more than Poles or Hungarians, want to be online even if they are on a deserted island, and started watching more online videos than TV programs. Still, they are reluctant when it comes of online payments.

The study shows that only 32% of Romanians use the internet on daily basis, the lowest percentage among the 5 markets covered by the research: half compared to Hungary (62%) and Slovakia (61%). Almost half Romanians (45%) access the internet at least once a week, according to Eurostat data.

67% are using smartphones or mobile phones to connect to internet, while 32% are using tablets, with the numbers related to mobile devices usage being higher than in the other countries covered by the research.

Romanians also seem to be open to technological novelties, like vocal search (60%, highest percentage among covered countries).

When online, 75% Romanians are accessing social networks and 72% communicate online with text messages, with women socializing more online than men. In case Romanians would end on a deserted island, half women would choose to take with them a computer or a smartphone connected to internet, while men would rather opt for a knife (36%) before choosing an online connected device (34%).

Laptops and personal computers are most used by Romanians for online searches, while smartphones and tablets are mainly used for social networks.

Among Romanian internet users, a third access the internet right after they wake up. Still, for Romanians, money and internet don’t go too well together: only 35% Romanian internet users are using online banking (last place among the countries covered by the research) and are second to last when it comes of online shopping (60%). On the up side, Romanians are the most passionate blog authors among the countries covered by the study: 12% own a blog, compared to just 7% in the other covered markets.

After online searches, social networks are second main reason why Romanians are accessing the internet: 75% are frequently checking the social networks, with Facebook being the undisputed leader (97% Romanians that use online networks have a Facebook account). Google+ is the 2nd most popular social network in Romania (44%).

Checking Facebook, Google+, Twitter or Instagram is, for Romanians using mobile devices, the most spread activity (58% smartphone users and 45% tablet users).

Over three quarters of Romanian internet users are watching online videos or download them from the internet. For almost half of them (46%), TV isn’t the main video entertainment device, as they watch more online videos than TV programs. When it comes of video entertainment, over 2 thirds of internet users (68%) are watching YouTube videos.

When it comes of smartphones, 80% Romanians are using the most the alarm, watch and camera as those are the most popular apps. If the device is connected to the internet, smartphone’s information (41%) and entertainment (34%) functions are considered more useful than for a normal phone. When it comes of smartphone entertainment, Romanian users are appreciating games (68%), music (57%) and photos (47%) the most.

Romanians connected to internet spend most of their spare time online: navigating over the internet searching for news and interesting info is their main activity (58%), followed by social networks and online communication (41%), followed by TV (49%).

When it comes of online habits, women are using the internet more than men for its communication function, while men download apps and watch online TV programs. Also, men seem to be more interested in reading news and info than women (63% vs 53%), while women prefer socializing and online communication more (47% vs 36%).

Most Romanians (60%) are searching for their name over Google, with women being more curios than man: 57% look for their partner’s name, compared to just 48% men doing the same.

Romanians are reluctant on online dating, as 58% consider that internet isn’t a proper place to start a relation, but trust it to make friends. Only one in 5 Romanian internet users trust the medium when it comes of romantic relationships, with men more likely to set up online dates than women (26% vs 18%).

The study was made by IIBR though CAWI method, as part of the project “Internet in daily life”. It covered 5 countries – Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. For each country, the study’ sample included 1,000 respondents aged minimum 15 years old, that use internet regularly (at least once a week)