COVID-19 leads to short-term and long-term push in digitalization

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of mundane life. Especially erstwhile it comes to moving and shopping, Swiss radical privation to spot astir of these changes stay successful the agelong run. These are results of a typical survey conducted by the University of Zurich connected net usage successful Switzerland.

As a effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, mundane beingness successful Switzerland has been severely restricted since March 2020 and galore activities person progressively shifted to integer spaces. This forced boost for digitalization is astir pronounced successful the country of distant working: Whereas earlier the pandemic, employed internet users spent conscionable nether 20 percent of their employed hours moving from home, during the pandemic it was much than 60 percent. Post-pandemic, they privation to enactment from location astir 2 days of the week.

"There are wide differences betwixt the digitalization advances forced by COVID-19 successful the abbreviated word and what is desired successful the agelong term," emphasizes Michael Latzer, prof of media alteration and innovation astatine the University of Zurich: "Many Swiss net users discovered the advantages of moving from location and of utilizing cashless payments during the pandemic, but the limits of integer alternatives besides became apparent, peculiarly successful idiosyncratic relationships." For example, the stock of societal gatherings taking spot online accrued from 9 to 25 percent due to the fact that of the pandemic; successful the agelong term, the perfect stock is 12 percent.

Today, astir everyone is online, 86 percent besides usage mobile internet

The survey, conducted by Michael Latzer and his squad for the sixth clip since 2011, shows that 95 percent of the Swiss colonisation usage the net successful 2021. Among those nether 70, it is astir 100 percent. 86 percent of the full colonisation besides usage mobile net successful 2021, which is much than 4 times arsenic galore arsenic 10 years ago. Internet usage clip doubled betwixt 2011 and 2019 to 3.5 hours and experienced different important summation during the corona crisis, reaching 4.5 hours a time successful 2021. Nevertheless, determination was lone a tiny summation successful concerns astir internet use: In 2021, lone somewhat much net users consciousness that they walk excessively overmuch clip online (29 percent) than earlier the pandemic (25 percent).

The fig of non-users successful Switzerland is astir 330,000 (compared to 1.5 cardinal 10 years ago). The mundane integer beingness of the online colonisation has changed importantly successful the past decade: In 2021, 84 percent store online (2011: 65 percent), 80 percent cheque facts online (2011: 60 percent) and 79 percent usage online banking (2011: 59 percent). Internet calls (82 percent) and messaging (93 percent) are present the norm, whereas 10 years agone they were utilized by little than half. The net has been the astir important root of accusation and amusement compared to different media since 2019.

Digital disagreement betwixt 70+ procreation and the remainder of the colonisation is deepening

Although the over-70s person made the biggest leap successful net usage since 2019, a 4th inactive does not usage the net successful 2021 (2019: 40 percent). Their astir important root of accusation remains TV. Only a 3rd of the 70+ procreation feels included successful the accusation nine (31 percent); among 20- to 29-year-olds, the fig is 88 percent. The COVID-19-related advances successful digitalization are besides overmuch weaker here: Online buying accrued by lone 3 percent points during the pandemic (from 11 percent to 14 percent).

By comparison, 20-to-49-year-olds ordered much than 40 percent of each products online during the pandemic, a short-term boost of 11 percent points. "Between the 70+ procreation and the rest, the digital divide is deepening successful some usage of and attitudes toward the internet," says Michael Latzer. For example, astir doubly arsenic galore successful this property radical (37 percent) would similar to spot much net regularisation by the authorities than among those nether 70 (20 percent).

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