Chinese youth on the internet are more likely to use it to expand their social circles and increase self-expression — and to feel addicted to it — than American young people, a study released Friday suggests.
A random online survey of a total of 2,183 internet users aged 16 through 25 in the United States and China found that more than twice as many Chinese teens said they sometimes feel "addicted" to the web — 42 per cent in China compared to 18 per cent in the U.S. Nearly 61 per cent of the Chinese youth polled said they have a parallel life online, compared to 13 per cent of the U.S. youth.
The survey, conducted in November by internet company IAC and advertising agency network JWT, also reported that up to 80 per cent of Chinese respondents said digital technology is an essential part of their lives, compared with 68 per cent of Americans.
The report suggested the web is a source of freedom and expression in China, more so than in the U.S. Almost three-quarters of Chinese respondents said they felt free to do things online that they would not do in regular life, compared to one-third of U.S. youth.
"For young Americans, the internet provides an incremental increase in the huge range of options they enjoy in life, but for young Chinese it represents a steep increase in choice — and this is reflected in the strength of Chinese response to questions about opinions and interactions online," said Tom Doctoroff, CEO of JWT Greater China.
The expanded choices extend to the sex lives of Chinese youth. Just under a third, 32 per cent, of Chinese users polled said they used the internet to broaden their sex lives. Eleven per cent of American youth polled said they used the web that way.
"In terms of impact on society and psychology, digital technology could be to China what the '60s were to the West — a huge shift in mood and attitudes. The big difference is that these changes in people's emotional and sexual lives are happening in the privacy of cyberspace," IAC chairman and CEO Barry Diller said in a news release from Beijing.
Other results from the survey include:
- Less than one-third of American youth polled said the web contributes to their social life, but 77 per cent of Chinese respondents said it helped them make friends.
- Nearly 86 per cent of the Chinese youth agreed that "I live some of my life online," while 42 per cent of the Americans agreed.
- A quarter of the Chinese youth said they would not feel OK going without internet access for more than a day, while only 12 per cent of U.S. respondents agreed.
- The Chinese internet users were more likely to enjoy games more when played against others online, and were more likely to report strong emotional responses online interactions.
The study noted that only about 10 per cent of China's population uses the internet, with a high proportion of users being young men in major cities.
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