The latest report by the National Statistics Institute on the use of information and communication technologies by families reveals that the percentage of Portuguese children using the Internet is currently 91 percent, in a universe where 96 percent of young people between 10 and 15 years say they have a computer.
Age was identified as one of the most important factors in the study, which states that «the use of computers and the Internet varies in the inverse ratio of age». Among individuals aged 16 and over, the percentage of computer users is 55 percent, and 51 percent access the Internet.
The figures also show that in 2010, the home will become the privileged location for the use of the computer (95%) and the Internet (92%), unlike what happened in 2008, which may reflect the investment that has been made. done in the context of programs such as e-escola and e-escola, which facilitate students’ access to computers at lower costs.
Regarding the use of resources, the Internet is mostly used to «search for information for schoolwork» (97%), followed by the exchange of messages in chats, blogs, newsgroups and online forums (86%), said respondents. Email comes in third (85.5%), followed by the download of games, images, movies or music (79.2%).
In a scenario where growth in the use of ICT is globally evident, 60 per cent of households have a computer and 54 per cent an Internet connection. The figures represent an increase of 12 and 7 per cent, respectively, compared to a 2006 analysis by INE, but the indicator that grew the most was broadband.
The presence of this type of access increased by 24 percent, being present in 50 percent of Portuguese homes in 2010 and also being the most common type of access. Cable connection was the most mentioned (37%), followed by DSL (30%) and mobile broadband (27%).
The data were collected between April and May this year, through telephone interviews in more than 11 thousand homes.
