Pew Research Center asked more than 36,000 people across 32 emerging and developing countries worldwide on the positive effects as well as the drawbacks the Internet has had on different aspects of life, including education, personal relationships, politics and the economy.
Across these nations an average of 44% of people said they used the Internet at least occasionally, often on their cellphones and increasingly smartphones, with numbers varying greatly between countries.
Pew Research found Internet adoption rates are highest among well-educated young adults (18-to-34 year-olds) and those who speak English.
Of those who have internet, two thirds (66%) use it daily, and social networks are the most popular destinations on the internet (for 82% of people).
Almost two thirds (64%) of people think the Internet is a good influence on education, although they are less likely to take online classes compared with people in the US.
Many people also use the Internet to gather information and stay in touch with family and friends.
53% of participants (65% of internet users vs 44% of non users) said they thought the Internet had a positive influence on personal relationships, and 52% thought it was good for the economy.
People, however, had mixed feelings about the effect the Internet has on politics, with 36% saying its influence was good and 30% thought it wasn’t. They also had the tendency to see it as a negative on morality.
Further Reading
- Internet Seen as Positive Influence on Education but Negative on Morality in Emerging and Developing Nations | Pew Research Center