The document discusses how consumer use of technology has evolved and its impact on their lives. It outlines that internet access has grown dramatically in recent years with over 5 billion people now online. Consumers rely heavily on digital devices like smartphones and laptops to access the internet for activities like online shopping, social media usage, and video consumption on a daily basis. Technology is now integrated into many aspects of consumers' lives and has changed how they search for information, make purchases, and spend their time.

1. Consumers Use Of
Technology
And its impact on their lives.
Unit 1 The Evolution of Digital Marketing: Assignment 2
(Manage Mentors, ND)

2. Access to the Internet
What is the internet?
The internet is a worldwide system that connects millions of computer users
through a range of different networks, such as the web and social media. The
internet was originally founded in 1965 as a way for government researches to
share information; but is considered to have been ‘born’ in the 1980’s (Usg.edu
ND) , as before then, computers were immobile and computer networks did not
have a standard way to communicate with each other.
63.1% of the world’s total population,
5.3 billion people, have access to the
internet in 2022 (Data Reportal, 2022).
Compared to 2012 when there were
only 2.4 billion internet users
worldwide (Pingdom, 2013), the
number of people with access to the
internet has increased dramatically.
Who uses the internet?
(Broadband Search, 2022)

3. Factors that impact access to the internet
- Internet speed
- Affordability
- User capability
- Location
- Hardware
(Realit, 2022)

4. Digital Devices Used By Audiences
Consumers can use a range of different devices to access the internet such as:
- Mobile phones
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smartwatch
- Desktop computers
Consumers use digital devices such as computers and smartphones for for researching, finding
reviews, recommendations, contacting companies and price comparisons etc. Smartphones are
used daily by 83.40% of the global population (Bank my cell, 2022) and can be used to make
purchases from websites and apps at any time and anywhere; thanks to Apple Pay, Apple
product users don’t even need their debit or credit card to complete a purchase, it can be
done with the click of a button.
What are these devices used for?

5. Laptop Desktop Computer Mobile Phone
Digital Devices
(Techgate Computers, 2015) (Turbo Future, 2020) (Colorlib, 2022)

6. Number of smartphone users worldwide
2017-2022
(Bank my Cell, 2022)

7. Devices used in American Homes
(Sastista, 2016)

8. How consumers search for information
What are search Engines?
Information is accessable on the internet through search engines, which in 2021 were the
primary online source for searching for products (Statistica, 2021). Search engines are
programs that are used to carry out web searches and identify information through
keywords, specified by the user. Search engines such as Google have predictive search
which helps consumers receive better results and find exactly what they are looking for.
Consumers can search for and find information through search engines such as; Google,
Bing and Yahoo. When searching for information online, customers may look for reviews
and recommendations before making their purchase through platforms such as price
comparison sites
(9to5google, 2019)

9. Consumers and
Online Shopping
For many people, online shopping is the most convenient way
to purchase what they need; they can do it from the comfort
of their home, research and read reviews of the product they
are looking to purchase. Online shopping gives consumers
access to a range products from across the world gives them
many options to choose from.
75% of consumers are shopping online at least once a month
and by 2023 it is predicted that ecommerce shopping will
make up 22% of retail sales (Big commerce, ND)
What are consumers buying?
Consumers are able to buy practically anything online from
their weekly food shop to a new pair of shoes or even a
holiday.
The top selling items bought online are clothing, electronics,
books and health and beauty products.
(Medium, 2017)

10. Online Shopping Statistics
2016-2020
(Hosting Data UK, 2022)

11. Online Video Consumption
What video content do consumers watch?
In 2022, video is more important to consumers than ever before. (Pamela Bump,
Blog.Hubspot, 2022) Video consumption is one of the fastest growing online trends and is
being recognised and optimised by brands across the globe.
With videos being easily accessable on most social media platforms such as Tiktok and
Instagram, many consumers are now relying on short-form videos to learn about a brand or
product. Customers enjoy watching videos where they can see the product in use and identify
any flaws or perks before purchasing it themselves.
Consumers are watching video content such as:
- Unboxings
- Reviews
- Product Demonstrations
- How-to’s
(Blog.hubspot, 2022)

12. Changes in the amount of video content
consumed
2013-2021
(Invedio, 2021)

13. Consumer Trends
How consumers use of technology has changed in recent years
During the pandemic in 2020, the use of technology changed dramatically and was used to
keep people connected, more than ever. Where people couldn’t meet in person, they were
meeting up virtually through platforms such as Facetime and working from home through
zoom meetings. In 2020 approximately 5.6 million people were working from home in the
UK (Statistica, 2022) relying on technology to enable them to get their work done. For many
consumers this meant not being able to physically go into a shop to browse and buy, which
made them rely heavily on technology for their purchases. During the pandemic 40% of the
UK said they were shopping online more than before.
Shopping is now integrated with social media through Ads, links and buying directly through
platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok Shop. Purchasing through platforms such as Tiktok shop
provides consumers with a fast and reliable checkout and other incentives such as coupon codes.
In 2022 the use of technology and the internet is a part of most people's daily lives
and is used now more than ever.

14. Summary
To summaries I believe that technology has a dramatic impact on consumers and their
every day lives. Whether consumers are directly searching for a product on Google or
scrolling on social media; products are being advertised, recommended and consumers are
being directed on where and how to shop. Social media and influencer marketing have
seen a huge increase over recent years and have been classed as an effective method by
80% of marketers (Smart insights, 2019).
With smartphones being used daily by over 80% (Bank my cell, 2022) of the world's
population, the increase of online shopping and the endless information available online
for consumers to compare and research, technology is now an essential part of daily living.

15. References
Manage Mentors (ND) ‘Technology’ Available at: https://www.managementors.co.uk/technology-does-it-
solve-all-your-headaches/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Usg.edu (ND) ‘A brief history of the internet’ Available at:
https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtml (Accessed September 7th 2022
Data Reportal (2022) ’Digital around the world’ Available at: https://datareportal.com/global-digital-
overview (Accessed September 7th 2022)
Pingdom (2013) ’Internet 2012’ Available at: https://www.pingdom.com/blog/internet-2012-in-numbers/
(Accessed September 7th 2022)
Realit (2022) ‘Internet and data’ Available at: https://realit.com.au/internet-and-data/ (Accessed
September 11th 2022)
Bank My Cell (2022) ‘Number of smarphone users) Available at: https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-
many-phones-are-in-the-world (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Techgate Computers (2015) ’Macbook air’ Available at: https://techgatecomputers.ca/product/macbook-
air-early-2015/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Turbo Future (2020) ‘Buying your first desktop computer’ Available at:
https://turbofuture.com/computers/Buying-Your-First-Desktop-Computer (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Colorlib (2022) ‘Hand holding iphone mockup’ Available at: https://colorlib.com/wp/hand-holding-iphone-
mockups/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)

16. Bank My Cell (2022) ‘Smartphone users data’ Available at: https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-
many-phones-are-in-the-world (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Sastistica (2016) ‘Devices used in American homes’ Avaialble at:
https://www.statista.com/chart/5172/household-penetration-of-connected-devices/ (Accessed
September 11th 2022)
Statistica (2021) ‘Leading online sources’ Available at:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1034209/global-product-search-online-sources/ (Accessed
September 12th 2022)
9to5google (2019) ‘Google.com’ Available at: https://9to5google.com/2019/03/04/google-search-
material-theme-web/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Big Commerce (ND) ‘16 online shopping statistics’ Available at:
https://www.bigcommerce.co.uk/blog/online-shopping-statistics/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Medium (2017) ‘Importance of E-commerce’ Available at:
https://medium.com/@nyxonedigital/importance-of-e-commerce-and-online-shopping-and-why-to-sell-
online-5a3fd8e6f416 (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Hosting Data UK (2022) ‘Online shopping statistics’ Available at: https://hostingdata.co.uk/online-
shopping-statistics-uk/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Blog.Hubspot (2022) ‘How video consumption is changing in 2022’ Available at:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-video-consumption-is-changing (Accessed September 11th
2022)
Invedio (2022) ’Top video marketing statistics’ Available at: https://invideo.io/blog/video-marketing-
statistics/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)

17. Statistica (2022) ‘Working from home UK 2020’ Available at:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/312345/working-from-home-in-the-united-kingdom-levels-
employed-uk-y-on-y/ (Accessed September 11th 2022)
Smart Insights (2019) ‘80% of marketers find influencer marketing effective’ Available at:
https://www.smartinsights.com/online-pr/influencer-marketing-effectiveness/ (Accessed
September 12th 2022)