Saturday 27 / April / 2024
Muscat: Most Omanis spend upto six hours daily on social media and WhatsApp is the most common social media app used in Oman, according to a report by the National Centre of Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The centre issued the results of the survey it conducted last March which studied the behaviour of Omanis on social media.
The data showed that 94 per cent of Omanis own or use social media accounts. The most common is WhatsApp, which is used by 93 per cent of social media users which is followed by YouTube with 71 per cent social media users and Instagram with 50 per cent.
The survey indicated that the average daily use of social media was six hours per day and that the most frequent use of social media happens between 8:00 pm and 12:00 am.
The results of the survey showed that 36 per cent of Omanis trusts social media as a source of news and information about important events, compared with 35 per cent who do not trust it.
Confidence in social media is slightly higher among females than males. 38 per cent females trust the veracity of information received by social media as compared to 32 per cent males.
The results of the survey also revealed that on average, the Omani citizen has upto three accounts on different social networking sites.
In general, women prefer using apps like Snapchat, Instagram and Youtube. Men, on the other hand, prefer using apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Imo.
Close to 91 per cent surveyed individuals said contact with family and friends was the top reason they used social media, which was followed by 47 per cent claiming they used it for keeping themselves updated with news and current events.
The most popular application for publishing text, images and videos is "WhatsApp", where 19 per cent of Omanis publish seven or more times a day, followed by Snapchat and Instagram.
More than half of Omanis believe that the use of social media has a positive effect on their social and practical lives.
A third of Omanis used social networking sites or applications to buy or search for some goods and services, and one in five Omani used social media for commercial purposes, such as promoting or selling a particular good or service.
The use of social media for commercial purposes is significantly higher among females than males in purchasing or searching for goods and services, 40 per cent versus 23 per cent.
The most popular applications for purchasing and searching for goods and services were Instagram, followed by WhatsApp.
Eight per cent of Omanis are highly confident in the quality and price of products purchased through social media, 41 per cent trust are not so sure about the quality, and more than a third of Omanis i.e. 36 per cent trust in quality and price of online products.
The survey also found that 38 per cent of people think the age of 15 is appropriate for tablet use, while 11 per cent believe the appropriate age is 3 to 6 years, whereas 16 per cent believe that children and adolescents should not be allowed to use the tablet at all. The average suitable age for tablet use was 13.
As for the use of mobile phones, 79 per believed that 15 years is the appropriate age for their use. While for social media 85 per cent believed the appropriate age is 17 years.
More than three-quarters of children under the age of 13 are monitored daily on their social media usage by a family member.
Four out of 5 Omanis view that the use of children under the age of 13 for social media has a very negative or negative impact on their social and academic lives. While 6 per cent believe there is a positive effect in one form or another. 12 per cent, however, believe that the impact of social media depends on what and how they are used.
