Norwegians spend around 4 hours a day on the internet
The average time spent on the internet has increased on all weekdays and in all age groups to approximately four hours a day.
Almost everyone aged 13 to 44 is on the internet during a day, according to recent figures from the Norwegian Media Barometer (link in Norwegian). Half of those aged 80 or older use the internet daily.
The survey shows that 96 per cent of the population has their own smartphone, which is used for about two and a half hours on an average day.
Those aged 16 to 19 spend the most time online
The average Norwegian spent four hours on the internet daily in 2022. This is an increase of a full 21 minutes from 2021, according to the Norwegian Media Barometer.
The average usage time is four hours and 17 minutes.
The time Norwegians spend on the internet has increased in all age groups.
Young adults aged 16 to 19 spend the most time on the internet, averaging seven hours and 27 minutes a day.
News consumption on social media is increasing
It is more common for women to read news on social media than men.
Among teenagers and young adults, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular social media for news. Those over the age of 25 mostly find their news on social media via Facebook.
Ten per cent of the population updates themselves on news only via social media and not through any of the traditional platforms during an average day.
The figures show that, in addition to entertainment, many teenagers and young adults report getting news on TikTok.
Four in ten teenagers find news on TikTok.
Traditional media is declining
Young adults update themselves on news primarily via online newspapers and social media, while older people still use traditional media such as newspapers, radio, and TV.
From 1991 until 2008, newspapers, TV, and radio were the dominant media in Norway. Over 80 per cent of the population read printed newspapers and watched TV on an average day.
In recent years, this proportion has decreased.
The proportion of people who watch traditional linear television fell from 58 per cent in 2017 to 35 per cent in 2021. For 2022, the figure is at 47 per cent, which is a higher share than in recent years.
Figures for news consumption across all sources and platforms show that over 90 per cent of the population get some news during an average day.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik.
Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no
