Data pick of the day: Mobile networking surges past 40%
Global Web Index released numbers showing digital devices that people are using to access social networking platforms. Globally, PCs and laptops might still be the leading devices, but it is mobiles and tablets which are enjoying strong growth lately.
According to the study, three in five adult internet users are now connecting to social networking platforms via a PC or laptop, but the number is slightly down since 2012. Also, more than two in five are now networking via a mobile, which is up nine points. Meanwhile, the numbers using tablets have more than doubled to hit 20 per cent.
Comparing PCs and laptops to mobiles is perhaps the clearest way to demonstrate how behaviors are changing. Back in 2012, PCs had a 30-point lead over mobiles; as 2014 draws to a close, this has been cut to just 17 percentage points.
PCs and laptops will certainly not be abandoned; the nature of today’s multi-device internet usage means that these devices will continue to serve as important access points at least some of the time. Nevertheless, mobiles are increasingly becoming a first-choice device for all things social.
