uploading video content (20 per cent to 26 per cent). While it is difficult to know the degree to which social media is impacting consumer use of other communications services, initial research indicates that social networking, along with other online communications channels such as instant messaging and VoIP, has replaced at least part of the space previously occupied by traditional online communications channels such as email. During June 2011, approximately 1.73 million Australians aged 18 and over used services such as VoIP, instant messaging or social networking to communicate online instead of email—a 35 per cent increase compared to June 2010 figures. Social networking sites Approximately 60 per cent of adult internet users in Australia were estimated to have accessed a social networking site in the six months to April 2011. Internet users aged 18–24 years recorded the highest level of social networking usage during this period (Figure 14). Figure 14 Use of social networking in six months to April 2011, by age Note: Relates to consumers in households with a fixed-line telephone service. Source: ACMA-commissioned consumer survey, April 2011. In terms of Australian web traffic to specific social networking sites, Facebook dominates, with 7.6 million people accessing the site from home during June 2011 (Table 3)—comprising 88 per cent of the total number of people accessing social networking sites during June 2011. YouTube, Wikipedia and blogging sites Blogger, WordPress and Twitter are the next most popular, each accessed by millions of Australians. Table 3 Australians accessing selected social networking sites from home during June 2011
uploading video content (20 per cent to 26 per cent). While it is difficult to know the degree to which social media is impacting consumer use of other communications services, initial research indicates that social networking, along with other online communications channels such as instant messaging and VoIP, has replaced at least part of the space previously occupied by traditional online communications channels such as email. During June 2011, approximately 1.73 million Australians aged 18 and over used services such as VoIP, instant messaging or social networking to communicate online instead of email—a 35 per cent increase compared to June 2010 figures. Social networking sites Approximately 60 per cent of adult internet users in Australia were estimated to have accessed a social networking site in the six months to April 2011. Internet users aged 18–24 years recorded the highest level of social networking usage during this period (Figure 14). Figure 14 Use of social networking in six months to April 2011, by age Note: Relates to consumers in households with a fixed-line telephone service. Source: ACMA-commissioned consumer survey, April 2011. In terms of Australian web traffic to specific social networking sites, Facebook dominates, with 7.6 million people accessing the site from home during June 2011 (Table 3)—comprising 88 per cent of the total number of people accessing social networking sites during June 2011. YouTube, Wikipedia and blogging sites Blogger, WordPress and Twitter are the next most popular, each accessed by millions of Australians. Table 3 Australians accessing selected social networking sites from home during June 2011
Report-2-Converging-communications-channels.DOCX