Dutch youngsters spend more time online and less watching TV

Dutch youngsters aged 12 to 24 years have been spending more time online in the last few years. They have been watching less TV, on the other hand.

Nearly 90 percent of youngsters online daily

In 2009, 99 percent of Dutch 12 to 24 year-olds had access to the internet. Nine in ten also went online at least once a day. In 2005 this percentage was much lower at 76. Young people mostly use the internet to communicate with others, via e-mail and social networks and to play games and download films and music.

Youngsters aged 12 to 24 years also order and buy more goods online, such as clothes, sports equipment and tickets for events. This percentage rose from 46 in 2005 to 70 in 2009.

Percentage of young people who use the internet daily

Less time for TV

So young people spend a lot of time online, where they can also watch TV programmes at a time that suits them. As a result they spend less time watching TV. The share of 12--17 year-olds who watch TV on a traditional set for 10 hours or more per week fell from 76 percent in 2000 to 62 percent in 2008. The proportion who do not watch TV or watch for less than 10 hours a week rose substantially in the same period, from 24 to 39 percent. This trend is also visible for young people aged 18 to 24 years.

Weekly number of hours young people watch TV (excl. online)

Doreen Ewalds