ICT COVID-19 Panel indicates an increase in online shopping and cultural activities during quarantine

Considering a universe of over 100 million people, the survey addresses the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) during the new coronavirus pandemic

The Internet has been an indispensable tool in facing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to changes in Brazilians' habits during this period. Online shopping and online cultural activities saw an increase: 66% of Internet users aged 16 and over reported making purchases of products or services online, a proportion that was 44% for the same population in 2018. Similarly, live online audio and video broadcasts gained more prominence during the period: compared to 2016, the proportion of Internet users who followed live streams nearly doubled. This is pointed out by the ICT COVID-19 Panel, developed by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), from the Information and Coordination Center of Ponto BR (NIC.br) linked to the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).

Released today (August 13) via a broadcast on the NIC.br YouTube channel, the study presented unpublished data on Internet activities, culture, and online shopping, based on the indicators from the TIC Domicilios survey. The survey estimates online habits for about 100 million Internet users aged 16 and over. Interviews were conducted via web and phone, between June 23 and July 8, 2020. Among the topics evaluated were the devices used for accessing the Internet, the type of connection via mobile phone, communication activities, information seeking and service access, cultural, educational, and work activities, with breakdowns by age group, education level, macro-region, and class.

“In a scenario where activities related to work, education, and even access to emergency social programs have become predominantly remote, it is crucial to measure the habits of Internet users and understand how the new scenario has changed these individuals' relationship with the web,” analyzes Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br.

Online commerce during isolation
The ICT COVID-19 Panel recorded an increase in Internet users who make online purchases in all regions of the Country, with a larger increase among women - rising from 39% in 2018 to 70% in 2020, for the same population segment. There was also an increase in the proportion of users who bought food or food products, as well as cosmetics and medicines. The percentage of Internet users who ordered meals via sales portals or applications tripled, compared to the results recorded two years ago, going from 15% to 44% during the pandemic.

Another point observed was the increase in direct communication between companies and consumers, via instant messaging applications to mediate the purchase of products or services, which rose from 26% in 2018 to 46% during the quarantine. “E-commerce was essential during this period of social distancing. The data from the ICT COVID-19 Panel confirm the trend of advancing economic transactions over the Internet, accelerating a movement that had already been occurring between consumers and companies over the past years,” notes Barbosa.

Culture during the pandemic
The consumption of online music and videos also expanded during the quarantine, especially among higher social classes, women, and people aged 35 to 59. Payment for streaming services of movies and series grew mainly among the lower social classes, while music saw greater adoption among higher classes. Despite the growth, platforms that provide content on demand are still not accessible to the majority of Internet users in Brazil, with adoption from 43% of them in the case of movies and series and 16% in the case of music.

Online real-time audio and video broadcasts were the most projected during the period, being followed by 64% of Brazilian Internet users. Although the result highlights the phenomenon of live streams, the activity remains predominant among viewers of higher social classes, carried out by 76% of them in classes AB compared to 47% in classes DE.

“The results of the ICT COVID-19 Panel in the cultural domain highlight a shift of cultural enjoyment to the domestic environment, as a result of social isolation measures. This occurred more notably, however, among Internet users of higher social classes and with higher education, indicating that inequalities traditionally observed in access to content via the web have persisted and, in some cases, widened during the period,” says Barbosa.

Other online activities
Among the highlights for other activities conducted online, there is a marked increase in the use of public and financial services via the Internet during the pandemic, with greater progress in classes C and DE and among Internet users with lower educational levels. Despite the verified increase, these groups still use financial and e-government services in smaller proportions than Internet users of classes AB and those with higher education.

The survey also recorded an increase in school activities and research via the Internet, a reflection of the suspension of face-to-face classes. Outside the school environment, there was a noticeable expansion in taking online courses and self-study via the Internet, especially among users with lower education and classes C and DE. These activities, however, are still greater opportunities taken by users with higher education and classes AB.

The ICT COVID-19 Panel will have two more editions, which will respectively address online public services, privacy, and telehealth; and remote education and work. More information on the upcoming panels will be released soon. “CGI.br reaffirms its commitment to providing the government and society with robust and updated statistics on the information society. The provision of quality information on the use of ICTs during the pandemic offers relevant inputs for evidence-based public policies and for promoting the well-being of the population,” evaluates Maximiliano Martinhão, Coordinator of CGI.br.

Access the complete list of indicators (https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/tic-covid-19/indicadores/) and the ICT COVID-19 Panel publication (https://cetic.br/pt/publicacao/painel-tic-covid-19-pesquisa-sobre-o-uso-da-internet-no-brasil-durante-a-pandemia-do-novo-coronavirus-1-edicao/).

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, publishing periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the Country. Cetic.br is a Regional Center for Studies, under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Information and Coordination Center of Ponto BR – NIC.br
The Information and Coordination Center of Ponto BR — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a civil, private, and non-profit entity, which besides implementing the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has among its attributions: coordinating the domain name registry — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to and handling security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network and operations technologies — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), implementing and operating the Internet Exchange Points — IX.br (https://ix.br/), enabling the Brazilian community's participation in the global Web development and subsidizing public policy formulation — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/). 

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the Country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of the offered services. Based on the principles of multistakeholderism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model praised internationally, where all sectors of society participate equitably in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

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