Reineke Reitsma [Posted by Reineke Reitsma]

Due to the growth in Internet and broadband adoption in recent years and the increasing availability of easily accessible online content, we are seeing a change in the type of activities that European Internet users perform online.

Our Technographics data shows that although activities like sending email, using instant messaging, shopping, and researching products remain at the top of the popularity list, but peer-to-peer activities, such as watching videos from other online users and visiting social networking sites, are catching up fast.

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The recession is affecting online behavior. Compared with 2008, the total level of online activity has declined in Europe: Cash-strapped, worried Europeans aren't currently spending nearly as much time researching products and making purchases compared with this time last year. One of the categories that's hit hard is travel: only 34% of online Europeans have researched holiday destinations in 2009 compared with 46% in 2008 — a drop of 12 percentage points in just 12 months.