What do 50 million college students in China and the U.S. have in common regarding online behavior? It turns out, very little. A combination of cultural, political, and behavioral factors have influenced a strong contrast in the two largest internet markets in the world.
College students, while only a small share of the total internet users in each market, represent the cutting edge of social and online media and offer insight into what the future may bring. China is now the largest market for online users, with over 700 million people, representing more than half of the population. Its college students number 30 million, or 4% of the internet users. The U.S. has over 260 million internet users, representing more than 80% of the population, with college students numbering 20 million, or 8% of internet users.
While small in numbers, college students are large in influence. They tend to be the most active users of social and online media and have been a driving force with emerging digital platforms.
Cultural and political influence provides some interesting contrasts between students in each country. One of the most significant differences is the fact that social media and many online media platforms in China are homegrown and are not active in other countries. Chinese companies have emulated the American social media platforms, but made the necessary accommodations to support the government’s restrictions and controls. Facebook does not exist in China, but Renren serves a similar purpose. In China, they do not use Twitter to send short messages, rather rely on Weibo. Students don’t’ “Google” to search as often as they rely on Baidu. In China, students watch videos on Youku, as compared to American students who use YouTube.
Another cultural difference is that Chinese students are much more active communicating online, while their American counterparts tend to be more active socializing with their community of friends. Finally, Chinese students are not as actively engaged with brands and business on the social media platforms they use as Americans.
INFOGRAPHIC: College Students Go Online (China and USA)
Consider some of the findings of the DigitalMediaIX surveys:
Internet Access
Economics has an influence on the adoption of technology in each market. Technology to access the internet comes includes computers, smart phones, and tablets. Most students rely on a computer in each market. The difference is that in China more students rely on desk top computers than their peers in the U.S. The situation is similar with smart phones, where 96% of students in the U.S. have them, while only 85% in China. It is interesting to note that the tablet usage is virtually the same at 19%. In China a tablet, especially an iPad, is a status symbol and an easy and less expensive way to access Apple apps. In the U.S., it is also more of a luxury for college students, but many students realize that they have most of their functionality on their laptop.
Laptop Brands
Apple dominates the laptop market in the United States with 62% of the college student market. In China the situation is quite different with Apple fifth in share. Once again, economics influences this, with affluent parents providing their children a Macbook, while the masses rely on Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, and H-P. Another factor relates to apps. In China, most students rely on apps that are available for free on Window’s based machines. Apple apps are incompatible and available for a fee, discouraging users from purchasing Macbooks.
Mobile Phones
With mobile phones, Apple again commands a significant share with 71% of the college student market. Sansung is a distant second with 9%. In China the market is much more fragmented with the top three brands, Apple, Nokia, and Samsung, having a comparable share to Apples with U.S. college students.
Social Media
American college students have a higher penetration of students regularly using social media, with Facebook at 95%, while the Chinese equivalent, Renren, is only 78% of students. The situation is reversed with video, where 62% of American students regularly used YouTube, whereas in China the number is 85%. For microblogging the Chinese clearly have higher penetration with 85% using Weibo, while only 62% use Twitter.
In summary, both markets have a very engaged student population with online and social media. The American student is spending more time connecting with friends on Facebook; the Chinese student is more often communicating with friends on Weibo. Time will likely equalize many of these statistics, as the world becomes smaller and cultural variances decrease.
Source: DigitalMediaIX Reports:
College Students in China, the Next Generation of Consumers, 2013;
The Digital Generation: American College Students, Brands, and Engagement with Digital Media, 2012
Photos Courtesy of UW-Madison Archives
