Study of Digital Behaviour and Preferences of College Students in a Tier 2 City in India

Internet usage rate is witnessing rapid year-on-year growth in India, largely powered by smartphones. The government has made efforts to set up a strong digital infrastructure to bridge the digital divide. Network operators are making competitive offers to lure in subscribers to opt for their high-speed data services. The study aimed to investigate the internet usage in a tier -2 city of India, among the youth. A survey was conducted among 151 graduate & postgraduate students of St. Thomas College, Bhilai to know about their preferences & usage patterns. Descriptive statistics in form of pivot tables were used to analyze the collected data. The survey responses revealed the growing popularity of mobile internet for social networking & interacting with friends and family. Instant messaging emerged as the most preferred means of communication among the youth, with Whatsapp being the most popular messaging app & second most used app overall. Though entertainment apps are being readily embraced by the youth, the same cannot be said for news & music apps. Youngsters were found to engage in digital shopping on a frequent basis but e-wallets have not yet gained their approval in terms of usage. Though they are habitual online users, their internet usage has not yet reached the point of addiction.