Post-millennials prefer face-to-face communication

Facebook followed by Google Plus and Twitter are the most popular social networking sites among students, finds a TCS GEN Y Survey of 12,365 high school students conducted in 14 major Indian cities. This post-millennial population is very social by nature and over 75 per cent spend an hour online every day. However, these youngsters still consider face-to-face (in-person) communication as the most preferred way of staying in touch with friends (36 per cent).

Even as the survey finds that 72 per cent students own smartphones and 85 percent are active on social networking sites, desktops/ home PC and laptops are the most popular mode of accessing the internet (55 per cent), followed by smart phones (30 per cent). Over half of the respondents said completion of school assignments and staying connected with family and being part of community, such as photography, football etc, are the prominent reasons for using social networking sites. Also, more than half of the respondents reported that their online activities were monitored by their parents (52 per cent). Of those whose parents monitored their online activities, parents of more than half also had access to their online accounts. E-commerce is a rage among these digital natives. About eight in every 10 students shop online. The main items bought are electronic gadgets, books and movie tickets and clothes.