Over 60% of youth in Belarus use mobile Internet

Over 60% of the Belarusian youth are the users of the mobile Internet, said Alexei Matsevilo, the Deputy Director of Information and Analytical Center under the Aegis of the Belarus President Administration, during an online conference hosted by BelTA.

“According to the Information and Analytical Center, it [mobile Internet] is currently used by over 60% of young people,” Alexei Matsevilo noted. He added that this means they are online in social networks almost non-stop. This affects their attention span in a negative way because they check for new messages all the time.

The expert underlined that social networks is an important part of life of today’s young people. “This is a convenient means of communication, search and exchange of information and collective work. Internet users prefer social networks first and foremost because they enable comfort communication and information processing. Of course, there are some problems here, too. They stem from the fact that social networks have become a traditional means of communication. Firstly, it is evident that the number of people who prefer face-to-face communication is decreasing. Instead, people prefer to chat online,” Alexei Matsevilo stressed.

He also cited the results of the U.S. studies which read that 20% of Americans aged 18-34 continue to use mobile devices even during sex, while 12% do not part with their smartphones when they shower. Some 19% check their mail or social networks during religious services and 33% cannot do without smartphones during romantic dinners. “Social network users in Belarus have adopted the same pattern of behavior,” Alexei Matsevilo noted.

The change in communication habits influences today’s youth’s attitudes to human relations. “People no longer value their friends and relatives as they used to because it is quite easy to establish new contacts in social networks. This is what already strikes the eye. However, it is too early to speculate about long-term consequences of these changes in society. Much depends on whether the youth are ready to consciously control their behavior in social networks or they are just willing to go with the stream,” the expert underlined.