Although they surf a lot themselves, parents see themselves as role models when it comes to the Internet

On average, Germans are online for more than nine hours a day, of which only around 3.5 hours are for work purposes. Is that too much private online time? No, say 78 percent: They are satisfied with how intensively they use the Internet. Only eleven percent want to restrict themselves - the year before there were more. Just as many people even want to use the web more in the future. These are the results of the representative Postbank digital study 2022.

“There’s no question that we live in a society that has no problem doing more and more everyday activities online – from booking a trip to reading a newspaper to a loan agreement,” says Thomas Brosch, Head of Digital Sales at Postbank. “The Germans tried out new options during the Corona crisis and will continue to use them in the future. This opens up many options for companies for useful products and services – regardless of opening times and physical distance.”

Too much time with the smartphone

Of the parents surveyed, 78 percent see themselves as a good role model for their children when it comes to using computers and smartphones. 20 percent admit that they sometimes do not set a good example, two percent consider themselves to be a bad role model.

Younger and older people in particular express self-criticism: a third of 18 to 29-year-olds say they do not set a good example when using the Internet, while among those over 65 the figure is 27 percent. An above-average number of seniors also think that they spend too much time on the Internet.

The guilty conscience mainly applies to mobile devices. 44 percent of those who see themselves as a bad role model use smartphones and tablets far too often in their opinion; another 53 percent use it at least a little too much. Only three percent consider themselves to be a bad role model because they don't use mobile devices enough to be able to give their children advice on this.

“During the Corona crisis, digital devices were important contact options and a lifeline in the business world,” explains Thomas Brosch. “They have made our everyday lives easier, online courses and contactless payments have boomed. The intensive use of smartphones and the Internet has also raised the question of what we want to do online in the future and for which personal contact is essential. Finding the right balance is often difficult, even for adults.”

One tenth isn't enough

One in ten respondents would like to spend even more time online in the future: 59 percent of the more users want to buy products or services online regardless of business hours or Corona proof. 43 percent would like to continue to avoid personal contact, 36 percent use social media and other internet services as a replacement for personal meetings. Women in particular are online more due to the pandemic: 39 percent are moving their contacts to WhatsApp etc., compared to 34 percent of men.

Other reasons also play a role, especially for men: 49 percent surf more for convenience, for example because they save travel distances when shopping. Only 29 percent of women say this. 44 percent of men, but only 37 percent of women, blame better technical equipment for their increased Internet consumption. 36 percent of men and 24 percent of women want to try out their newly acquired or increased Internet skills.

Background information on the Postbank Digital Study 2022: 3,050 Germans were surveyed in January and February of this year for the “Postbank Digital Study 2022 – The Digital Germans”. With this study, Postbank is examining for the eighth year in a row what developments are emerging in the various areas of life of German citizens with regard to digitalization in general and financial topics in particular. In order to represent a population-representative structure, the sample was weighted according to federal state (proportionalization), age and gender. The 2011 census from the Federal Statistical Office was used as a reference file. The results are rounded to whole numbers. Deviations in the totals can be explained by rounding differences. Source: Postbank