Urban students are digital natives: TCS study

MUMBAI, INDIA: In a school children study conducted across the urban areas of India, it is found that the country's school children are digital natives, highly technology savvy and global in terms of aspirations and outlook as well as increasingly optimistic about India’s economic future.

The study was released by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company, here on Wednesday.

TCS Generation Web2.0 survey, which quizzed 13, 738 students from English medium schools between the age group of 12-18 years across 12 Indian cities during 2008-09, found that Google with 41 percent is the most preferred information access source, followed by print and TV both stood at 26 percent. In terms of Internet access, Kolkota topped at 77 percent with highest students’ count for Internet usage (Google + Wikipedia).

On the way Internet was accessed, the study said that about 58 percent students accessed from home. Chennai topped at 75 percent net usage from home nationally and among mini metros, while Ahmedabad led at 63 percent.

Moreover, about 58 percent students in mini metros uses cyber cafes as the primary net access point with Cochin standing first in this count with 65 percent. And in terms of net access from schools, Delhi topped with 31 percent followed by Ahmedabad at 28 percent.

About the social networking trends, the study revealed that blogging in metors revolved largely around students’ everyday life. The survey called Bangalore as the India’s blogging capital with 66 percent students indulging in blogging/social networking scene against 39 percent nationally.

Orkut emerged the most preferred source for social networking nationally with 27 percent while Facebook trailed with 21 percent. And the study pointed that Mumbai is the only city where Facebook is more popular than Orkut. Interestingly, about 60 percent students in Mumbai followed by 57 percent in Ahmedabad read about film and celebrity blogs than youth in any other city.

While the Second Life concept shown a decline in preference by Indian students with 1 per cent, overall 39 per cent students are aware about blogging/social networking as per the study.

In terms of students’ educational interest and pursuits, the study revealed that desire to study abroad is a national inspiration for them and about 40 per cent students wants to study in US. But, one in five students in Chennai and Cochin respectively preferred Singapore and Dubai for overseas education.

Also, Engineering topped as the ideal career choice with 35 percent students, followed IT at all India level. However, media and entertainment stood at fourth in metros while in mini metros banking/ financial sector were popular choices.

On disposable income among youth, the study found that majority gets pocket money under Rs.500 per month, but in Delhi and Hyderabad youth gets the highest pocket money in India, which comes at around Rs. 2000 per month.

As there has been lots of talks about PC penetration, the study says the metros have 71 per cent home PC penetration against 54 per cent in mini metros. Bangalore and Delhi have 77 per cent highest PC penetration while Ahmedabad topped with 73 per cent among mini metros.

Mumbai topped in the laptop penetration in the country at 38 percent against the 19 percent national average, the survey found.

Interestingly, the brain child behind this survey, which covered cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Coimbatore, Bhubneshwar, Lucknow and Hyderabad (which were classified into metros and mini metros), is TCS’ communication head, Pradipta Bagchi.

According to Bagchi, information access, social networking preferences, future education mindset and career interest, and youth and technology were the four key parameters for the study.