Asian moms hooked on Internet for children, selves-study

SINGAPORE, May 20 - The Internet is a lifeline for Asian mothers, with a survey finding two-thirds use it to shop for themselves and their children and an even bigger number going online to research purchases and talk about them.

The study, by Microsoft Advertising and Starcom MediaVest Group, showed that mothers ultimately hold the purse-strings in the region, influencing purchasing decisions ranging from household staples to big-ticket items such as cars.

And their resource of choice to make these purchases is the Internet, with 58 percent saying they used online networks and online customer reviews before actually buying.

"Mums have become the one-stop shop for family purchases, and brands need to be aware of this influence," Kenneth Andrew, managing director of Microsoft Advertising Greater Asia Pacific, told reporters.

"Mothers are becoming increasingly digitally savvy, and conversely, much more cynical of advertising."

The survey was based on interviews with about 3,000 mothers in eight markets -- China, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. The respondents ranged from pregnant women to mothers with teenage children.

On average, the survey found that Asian mothers spend 17 hours a week online, and the sites they visited ranged from those offering media, such as music and video download sites, to social networks, to sites specifically catered to children.

But largely, the online activities of mothers depended on the age of their children, with expectant women relying on sites that allow them to interact with other mothers, while those with older children rely on the web for email and searches.

The research was intended to help advertisers focus on a demographic Andrew said had been so far neglected in Asia.

"There is an opportunity for mothers to become an unofficial brand ambassador, as they love to share their views and are very influential," he said.


My views:
I guess everyone uses computer(regardless of their age) to go into Internet almost everyday.Computers are one of the most advance technology that has become essential in our daily life.Some people might even think that they will not be able to survive for a few days without using the computers.No doubt the Internet has made our lives more convenient and better with its advantages,there are also some disadvantages.

Advantages:
1)Leisure activities such as gaming and watching videos.
2)Conducting online lessons or doing elearning home works.
3)Online shopping.
4)Research.
5)Blogging.
6)Chatting on MSN and so on.

Disadvantages:
1)Addiction on using the computer.
2)Causes poor eye sight due to spending long hours on the computer.
3)High electrical bills and so on.

I think that allocating a reasonable amount of time spend on computer everyday is important so that we would not neglect doing other important stuffs or get hooked using the Internet services.We should also be careful not to get hooked to the computer as it will not be easy to cure the addiction.Overall,the invention of the computer and the Internet is beneficial and it will be depended on how the users uses it to maximise the advantages for themselves.