VietNamNet Bridge – Up to 58 per cent of Vietnamese use the Internet with average time spent online at 16 hours per week, according to a recent survey by Nielsen Viet Nam on Internet use.

The rate is 19 per cent in Indonesia, 67 per cent in Singapore, 38 per cent in Malaysia and 31 per cent in Thailand.

Speaking at a recent meeting with the Ministry of Information and Technology, Vaughan Ryan, general director of Nielsen Viet Nam, said the Internet penetration rate in Viet Nam was high due to a young population who loved new technology and online interaction.

The survey indicates that many people spend up to 31 hours on Facebook and other social networking sites via laptops, computers and smartphones. Many companies have banned their employees from using social networking sites during work hours, but Nielsen Viet Nam says this tendency should be encouraged as it boosts interaction among people in a modern way.

According to Nielsen Viet Nam, social networking sites help connect consumers with companies and brands, and many Vietnamese consumers joining fan pages of companies and brands on Facebook.

Source: VNS