INFOGRAPHIC: How the pandemic changed Filipinos' digital habits
The Philippines has always been one of the most active nations online. We still hold the title, “social media capital of the world” because of the growing number of Filipino social media users and the time we’re spending on these online platforms.
In 2019, 73 million Filipinos spent an average daily time of 9 hours and 45 minutes on the internet watching videos and vlogs, streaming music, and listening to online radio stations and podcasts. On the other hand, at least 73 million Filipinos spent an average daily time of 3 hours and 53 minutes on social media.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, these numbers spiked. Based on the latest report by We Are Social, more Filipinos went online and got more active on social media. Since we were quarantined at home, interests have changed. There was an obvious drop in interest in travel content while curiosity for e-commerce and streaming services grew. We learned how to shop for essentials and non-essentials through apps on our mobile phones and consumed more content than ever.
But despite our fondness for the internet and social media, the Philippines still has one of the slowest internet connections in the world. Based on the latest Speedtest Global Index, we’re at rank 92, behind Laos and South Africa.
This affects our experience – in particular, our productivity when it comes to working or studying from home. We are no stranger to buffering, loading, and lagging. To address this, some streaming platforms are offering options to download content so we can watch it offline. While the download might still take a while, we can at least enjoy uninterrupted viewing or listening unlike when we choose to stream.
There are also apps like SHAREit that aim to give Filipinos a seamless online experience. SHAREit allows users to discover content, send files and apps, as well as receive them without the use of any mobile data. Among SHAREit’s 40 million active users in the Philippines, app sharing on SHAREit has increased by 160% in the past year. It’s no wonder that SHAREit is one of the world’s most downloaded apps of all time.
In this infographic, we dive deeper into the internet habits of Filipinos and how we can use SHAREit for a more enriching and seamless digital experience.
