The document discusses how digital technology and the internet have changed how consumers access information and make purchases. It notes that consumers now have the internet and digital devices at their fingertips, allowing them to research products, ask questions, and make purchases from anywhere at any time. The widespread adoption of smartphones in particular has increased consumers' access to online content and shopping. The document also examines trends in online video consumption, popular search engines, types of items purchased online, and how technology has increased consumers' expectations for convenience, selection, and prices.

1. How consumers
use technology
and its impact
on their lives
Fig 1. Godfrey, B. (2017) Network image [image]

2. What is digital technology? Digital technology
includes electronic tools, systems, devices and
resources that generate, store or process data.
Well known examples include, social media,
online games, multimedia & mobile phones.
(Victoria State Government, 2019)
What is the internet? The internet is a worldwide system that connects computers all over the world.
People can use it to share information, communicate and research anything from anywhere in the
world, if it has an internet connection. (Dennis, 2022)
These two things combined have changed how businesses are able to run and how consumers can
purchase from companies. Consumers now have technology at their fingertips, they can use their
smartphone to research a product, ask a sales question and purchase a product, no matter where
they are or what they’re doing.
Fig 2. Hoffman, C. (2018) Connections across the world [image]
Introduction

3. Access to the Internet
The internet started in the 1960s and was initially used for
government researchers to share information. It wasn’t until
the 1980s that the internet really took off, the number of
users jumped from only 2,000 to 30,000 between 1986 and
1987 and by 1995 there were around 10 million users.
(Science & Media Museum, 2020) And now, in 2022, there is
4.95 billion internet users worldwide. (Kemp, 2022)
Fig 3. Rosher, M. Ritchie, H. & Ortiz-Ospina, E (n.d.) Share of the
population using the internet [graph]
Fig 4. Rosher, M. Ritchie, H. & Ortiz-Ospina, E (n.d.) Number of
internets users, 2020 [map]
In 1993, dial-up internet access was limited
to 56 kbps. (Eha, 2013) In 2022, the national
average internet speed is 119 mbps, which is
equivalent to 119,000 kbps. This shows just
how much internet speeds have improved
over the last 30 years. (Holslin, 2022)

4. Digital devices used
by audiences
People can access the internet in a wide variety of ways,
including: (Device Atlas, n.d.)
• Computers/Laptops
• Mobile phones
• Tablets/iPads
• Smart TVs
• Games Consoles
• Smart watches
• Kindles
• Digital Cameras
• Smart speakers (e.g.
alexa, google home)
• Cars
According to statista.com
the device most used by
people in the United
Kingdom (UK) in 2020 to
connect to the internet was
a smartphone at 60% of
people and next was a
laptop at only 16% of
people. (Statista, n.d.)
Fig 5. Ranger, S. (2020) The internet of things [image]
Fig 6. Statista. (n.d.) Devices used to access the internet [graph]

5. How customers search for
information
The most popular way that
consumers search for information
is online using search engines,
alternatively, consumers can find
information through online ads,
reviews and social media. There
are a few ways people can find
information offline, including in
store, tv ads and word of mouth.
(Iskiev, 2022)
91.42%
of users use the search
engine Google to search
for information. (Chris, 2022)
Fig 7. Chris, A. (2022) Top search engines [graph]

6. What consumers buy
online
Between 2018 and 2019 in the US, 59% of people
bought clothing online, 47% of people bought books,
music & movies online and 45% of people bought
shoes online. (Estay, 2020)
Other examples of items bought online:
• Consumer electronics (e.g. TVs, mobile phones)
• Food & drinks
• Cosmetics
• Bags & accessories
• Toys
• Health products
• DIY, garden & pet products
Fig 8. Estay, B. (2020) Which of these items have you bought online in the last
12 months? [graph]

7. Online video consumption
The consumption of online videos has been on the rise. In 2019 it was thought that people spent on
average 84 minutes per day watching online videos, in 2021 this had increased to 100 minutes per
day. (Mandese, 2019)
92.7% of internet users
worldwide watch digital videos
each week, with the most
popular videos on the internet
being music videos, with 49.9%
of users watching them each
week. This is closely followed
by comedy, meme or viral
videos; livestream videos and
tutorial or ‘how to’ videos.
(Oberlo, n.d.)
Fig 9. Oberlo (n.d.) Most popular types of videos on the internet (2022) [graph]

8. Consumer trends
One of the main trends that we see amongst consumers
is the need for convenience, people want to be able to
make the most of their time. For example, when someone
is commuting to work by public transport, they are most
likely going to be using their smartphone, or other
connected device, to be browsing social media, looking
for their next clothing purchase or watching their favourite
tv program. (The Keenfolks, n.d.)
The developments in technology have allowed this to happen, by supplying them both with the device
to browse the internet and the internet itself.
One downside is that with the convenience of online browsing, the consumer has now got much higher
expectations, they will expect the best product for the lowest price and won’t be afraid to compare one
site/product to another. This gives the consumer power to find the best product out there, as opposed
to 5 years ago when they may have had less options at the fingertips.
Fig 10. Connor, L. (2021) Close up of people using mobile smart phones
[photograph]

9. Summary
With the improvements of technology and the wide availability of an internet connection, life 50 years ago is
completely unrecognisable. Among other things, technology has changed consumer buying patterns, by making it
easier and more convenient to purchase an item, having a greater selection of items for the consumer to buy and
having all this available on demand. (Rose, 2020)
Nowadays it is so easy and convenient to do things such as, purchase clothing, watch your favourite TV program,
transfer money between your bank accounts. A consumer can literally do this all from wherever they are, so long as
they have a device that can connect to the internet.
Before the buying process even begins a consumer can now do all the research they need, gone are the days of
needing hundreds of catalogues from multiple different retailers, this can all now be done online. Whether that is by
browsing online stores, seeing personalised adverts pop up on social media or watching a review of an item on
YouTube. A consumer can find out everything they need to about whether they should make a purchase by simply
using the technology at their fingertips.
Technology has completely revolutionised people’s lives and how they approach the process of buying an item, but
where will it take us next?

10. Reference List
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