‘Digital generation’ unwilling to pay for downloads – EU report
Matthew Vella
The European Commission’s Digital Competitiveness report published yesterday shows Europe’s digital sector has made strong progress since 2005: 56 per cent of Europeans now regularly use the internet, 80 per cent of them via a high-speed connection (compared to only 30 per cent in 2004), making Europe the world leader in broadband internet.
Europe is the world’s first mobile continent with more mobile subscribers than citizens (a take-up rate of 119 per cent).
A new generation of Europeans mastering the web and ready to apply its innovations is coming on stage. These “digital natives” hold great potential for Europe’s growth.
People aged 16 to 24 are the most active internet users: 73 per cent of them regularly use advanced services to create and share online content, twice the EU population average (35 per cent).
66 per cent of all Europeans under 24 use the internet every day, compared to the EU average of 43 per cent. They also have more advanced internet skills than the rest of the population, according to a Commission study on digital literacy, also released today.
Although the “digital generation” seems reluctant to pay to download or view online content like videos or music (33 per cent say that they are not willing to pay anything at all, which is twice the EU average), in reality twice as many of them have paid for these services compared to the rest of the population (10 per cent of young users, compared to an EU average of 5 per cent). They are also more willing to pay for offers of better service and quality.
Internet use will soar as Europe’s “digital natives” begin their professional lives, increasingly shaping and dominating market trends. As traditional business models stall, companies will have to offer services attractive to the next generation of users, while legislators should create the right conditions to facilitate access to new online content while also ensuring remuneration for the creators.
“Europe’s digital economy has tremendous potential to generate huge revenues across all sectors, but to turn this advantage into sustainable growth and new jobs, governments must show leadership by adopting coordinated policies that dismantle existing barriers to new services,” said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media.
“We should seize the opportunity of a new generation of Europeans who will soon be calling the shots in the European market place. These young people are intensive internet users and are also highly demanding consumers. To release the economic potential of these ‘digital natives’, we must make access to digital content an easy and fair game.”
