Kaustav's insights at Mobileyouth

Read "Youth Mobile Age - 50 Key Youth Trends 2011's album "Sample Quotes from YouthMobileAge" at www.youthmobileage.com

WOM and product promotion (at SNS) among the youth in India

Facebook (SNS) is now a platform to "express" the "feel good factor / feel bad factor" about a product or service. A space which spreads a Word of Mouth (WOM) much faster than ever! The conventional advertising is going to be passe....they will just add the "touch of glamor" in so called "advertising and product promotion"....more like a fashion show!!!

The Young and the Restless: The Rise of Social Entrepreneurship in India

The CEO of India’s ambulance service was among the first generation of women in her Rajasthan town to receive an education beyond high school. Sweta Mangal received her MBA from the University of Rochester, with the full intention of finding a job and remaining in the US. But less than two years after she graduated, she felt an itch – an India itch – and without telling her family, she flew back to India.

Shortly after she returned, the friend of Ravi Krishna, another US-educated Indian, died in a car accident because he did not receive prompt medical attention. In response to this tragedy, Sweta and a few friends started talking about India’s need for an ambulance system. “In the US,” she said, “we would have just dialed 911. But there wasn’t anything like that here.” In 2003, Sweta and a few friends created an initiative to provide ambulance services for Mumbai residents, buying two ambulances and putting them on the road. As demand grew, they bought eight more ambulances. They also expanded their services to provide a women’s helpline as well as first aid workshops at schools and colleges. Two years ago, Mangal left her day job to become CEO of Dial 1298 for Ambulance. By April 2011, they expect to have 500 ambulances across India.

Mangal is part of a growing trend of young Indians who are increasingly unwilling to accept India’s inequality gap as immutable truth. This gap means that in medical emergencies, the wealthy are rushed to private hospitals in chauffeur-driven cars, while the poor are forced to hope for a run of luck that will save their lives. Indeed, India is (in)famous for its information technology capabilities even though there is no assurance of a constant supply of electricity in most parts of the country. India is renowned for its cardiothoracic surgery facilities even though access to basic sanitation for the majority of the population is non-existent. The wealthy have Ferraris in cities known for clogged roads and cashmere scarves in areas whose temperatures rarely drop below 70 degrees, while slum children burn plastic bottles to keep warm.

This inequality gap has become more apparent in recent years, where in an attempt to address the issue of the scarcity of public services – such as electricity, water and healthcare – the government has encouraged the privatization of these sectors. But rather than alleviating the gap, the inequality has persisted, and in some cases, deepened. This is a democracy of disproportion; and young Indians like Sweta Mangal are looking for a way to relieve this asymmetry.

The work of reducing this imbalance clashes against the predictable troika of engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs that India is known for producing. But this professional holy trinity, while still alive culturally, is in the process of being scrambled. Increasingly, young Indians are balancing culturally ordained ideas of success with social change.

“It isn’t like it was before,” said Ms. Mangal. “Before if you were an entrepreneur, all you did was make money, and if you wanted to make this country better, your only option was to be like Mother Teresa. Now, we’re doing both.” Social entrepreneurship is on the rise in India, as young people examine methods of bridging the inequality gap so that India can experience inclusive growth. And as India amasses financial capital, the pool of potential funding sources – from philanthropic organizations to corporate houses – is growing.

While the Indian education system’s business programs have traditionally geared students towards solely making money, universities are recognizing this cultural shift towards social enterprise. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Lucknow recently unveiled its Center for Social Entrepreneurship as well as an annual awards ceremony recognizing and promoting innovative ideas for social change.

Irfan Alam is one entrepreneur who has been recognized by a number of institutions and political figures, such as President Obama, for his creative social enterprise. Blending his management background with his desire to uplift the community of his native Bihar – a state infamous for its desperate poverty and rampant corruption – Alam founded Sammaan, a cycle rickshaw-organizing initiative. Calculating that cycle-rickshaw operators support almost 5% of the population but are a disorganized sector, made up of illiterate labourers who rely on the mafia for their rickshaws, Alam created a business model which empowers rickshaw pullers through training, capacity-building, education and financial support. Rather than giving up a large portion of their daily profits in rental, Sammaan sets cycle rickshaw operators up with micro-lending schemes. They are given safety and health workshops, bank accounts and health insurance. The back of the rickshaw is transformed into an advertising board, and the cycle-rickshaw operators sell bottled water and fruit juices to their customers. They keep 50% of the profits.

Mr. Alam went so far as to reach out to the local mafia who had been renting the cycle rickshaws to the pullers, believing that incorporating them into a new system would be more effective than attempting to extricate their involvement. The mafia agreed, and they have worked with Sammaan on their larger goal of making rickshaw-pulling a dignified, sustainable livelihood. Mr. Alam calls this “a holistic means of shifting the system.”

Sweta Mangal and Irfan Alam are two of many young Indian social entrepreneurs who are working towards larger institutional reform as they provide stopgap services for those who need them. They are well aware that the complexity and gravity of the issues that India faces will not be solved by one well-meaning social enterprise. But the promise lies in what is believed to be a generational shift. “There is a revolution happening right now,” Alam says, “where young people want to be involved in India’s future.” Indeed, as India gains prominence on the world stage, young Indians are looking to be involved in this country’s history, and social entrepreneurship is becoming the way to do it.

The National Social Entrepreneurship Forum claims to have seen “an unprecedented surge in the interest level amongst youth in this sector,” as the professional holy trinity of engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs participate in what appears to be a national reckoning; an enumeration that looks not at spreadsheets but souls, an appraisal of a country. For all of India’s leaps and bounds splashed in cashed-out, marigold-strewn glory across the front pages, the needs of many people who energize these leaps and bounds have not been answered. The basic systems their government has promised have been compromised or waylaid entirely. And the explosion of technology and ease of access to information has meant that young Indians have become the eyes and ears of the country, forming the collective conscience of the nation.

Neil Dantas, a 31-year old furniture designer, turned to graphic design to speak out against the tragedies and inequalities by which he was surrounded. Before the terrorist attack on Mumbai commuter trains in 2006, Mr. Dantas was “just a talker.” But following the brutal attacks which ravaged Mumbai, leaving 186 commuters dead, Dantas found himself colonized by a narrative of change that was sweeping the city. He created a design of train handles, with the words “we are still holding on,” underneath and made a t-shirt. The t-shirts were eagerly sought out by youth across the country. Seeking to both educate and inspire young Indians to examine social and political issues, Dantas has since made t-shirts of what he calls “indirect political statements,” addressing issues including safe sex, alcohol abuse and voter turnout. His most recent t-shirt combines the Hindu om symbol with the Muslim crescent moon, speaking to the country’s longstanding tension between many Hindu and Muslim communities.

As India flexes its economic and diplomatic muscles, elbowing its way forward on the global stage, there is another revolution taking place in people’s minds. The professional holy trinity is being undone, aspirations are gaining dimension and the promises of the Constitution are no longer regarded as distant dreams, but as questions, even, challenges. Compared to the energy bills, the trade partnerships, the multi-billion dollar business deals, it is a quieter revolution, but it seems, no less riotous.

source: thefastertimes

[depth of] friendship measurement model and the catagories of freindship among the youth in India

In a country where getting "own space" is very difficult (due to population, family, career...)the youth in India are developing 4 types of friends and "friend lists" (other than "real" face to face friends) to categorize the "priorities" and "ways of interaction":

1. Chat friends...some of the chat friends are very distant, they have not even met/ know the person...more of a virtual friendship where the face is replaced by codes, user-names, texts)

2. SNS (Facebook) friends... the friends are still virtual, but much closer, they r having "visual representation", day to day activities can be tracked, more "homely" and more "reliable"

3. Phonebook friends... close freinds who's "true identity" is known...represented by numbers...and much reliable

4. Blackberry chat friends.... micro circle of friends....same / similer AIOs... BB pin is shared, so very much reliable!

the real life friends are also interwoven in above 4 categories...one can be present in the phone book, Facebook page and BB chat list (so they can stay in more than one group at a time).

Among the "real life friends" their depth of friendship is determined on which list they are...whether he/ she is a BB chat "real life" friend (close/ best friends only) or the facebook "real life friend" ("ok" friends to "best" friends)...

Interestingly, the visuals are becoming more "general" (in this world of visuals, thrs no exclusivity in it) ...the voice is more "personal"...the emotions can be "felt" in voice than visuals.... everybody knows, today, the visuals can be "manipulated" by anybody (PHOTOSHOPIFICATION of the world, i call it).
Hence, visuals are becoming "secondary priority" in friendship "core group"

I have proposed below model to measure the "depth and intense" of friendships among the youth, which can be a good tool for the ethnographers and brands to find their focus groups/ promote/ building networks/ understanding activities...


you can mail me /chat/ call for further discussions...

(the discussion on this topic at my facebook page is added above...the "like"s shows how many youth in India are supporting this...)

"teen-i-fiction" of 30+!

In the surge of “youth”, the multitasking wonderful daring “never mind” digital generation of India, the 30+ generation is “aspiring” and “doing their best” to get back their “lost” teenage. The 30+ is a generation who struggled in their teenage to buld their career, satisfy their parent’s “dreams and aspirations” and to get “established”…and after having “almost everything” they understood that they have somehow missed “the fun” this liberalizations children (they, who is born during the liberalization of India’s foreign policy, in 90’s) is having today! The multi-options of entertainment…the multi-options of “putting opinions”…they are the one who has money to have fun, but the time is gone! So, they wants to “rewind” and have the fun they missed. In terms of fashion, lifestyle, luxury, kink, dare, attitude….at least in the weekends!

So, the global brands ("youth brands", specially) who’s targeting the youth segments to test their luck in India, must and should primarily focus to pamper this generation without shifting their focus on “being young...” (cause, if your brand looks “oldy” 30+ will not buy!)

Check this video: http://vimeo.com/16638983 , the gen X in west is what 30+ segment is in India…only, they were never being “pampered” by media and “choices”! and today they have "everything" but craves for being "teen" again...

so do the "teen-i-fiction" of 30+ to win them(fashion, gadgets, SNS and all those "oh so kids")!

youth(sub)cultures and youth in India

Whenever I meet a global "youth" brand for discussion over their plan-d-India, a “blunt” question is being asked : “Is there any “indigenous” subculture/ youth culture/ unique counter culture in India?”…I know, its easy to ride over the “flow” of youth culture to make it “cool” and this is how many brands succeeded in west…but fortunately/ unfortunately, in India, we don’t have any “indigenous” subculture/ style culture which is deeply rooted among youth (other than the superficial visual elements, which emerges as fads and vanishes faster...for example, appearing as “Goth” by wearing black without knowing what is gothism!)…

Any [youth]subculture, is a result of “revolution” against one or many social systems (punk, hippies, zooties, skinheads, hiphop…) and the expression of revolution are shown as “visual elements” through fashion/ style/ music/ literature/ attitude/ promotion of opinion among the like minded peer groups (across the intra or inter demography) …no subculture ever emerges to be “cool” but to be “authentic” and different from the “rest of craps”…finally, by the “conspiracy of system”, when an authentic youth subculture becomes “cool” among mass, the so called “loose crap tadpoles” (they, who r not rooted to a sub cultural belief, system, rules and regulations etc.) join in and finally sends a subculture into “hibernation”, hence ensuring a “visual death of the same”…. the brands immediately move to another subculture to make it “cool” to ride on that flow! That’s the basic system of “promotion” of “youth oriented products” around the world….this system somehow doesn’t work in India!

Lets discuss, what is India, what are the “values” of being youth in India…their priorities, preferences, “boundaries”…and how they break it to be unique.

(will be continued…)

socio-psychology and fashion trends (Indian Youth) INsightYOUng'10-11

INgene INsight's very ORIGINAL and farm fresh report

socio-psychology and fashion trends (Indian Youth) INsightYOUng'10-11

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As movies shrink into gadgets, young Indians watch on

New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Roman Polanski once said, 'Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theatre.' Had the Polish-French director seen 30-year-old Vimarsh Bajpai enjoying movies in trains and cars, completely oblivious to his surroundings, he would have been a happy man.

Bajpai, a jet-setting Delhi-based communication and content consultant who consumes the majority of his cinema on the move, is a proud owner of an iPod Touch - the one gadget he 'will never bargain for'.

He belongs to a new breed of movie watchers who like their cinema personalised, isolated and customised - on laptops, iPods and other devious little portable gadgets. The tribe is part of a technological revolution which is changing the dynamics of the movie experience in India.

'For me, movie watching is not something that just has entertainment value; it also shapes my thinking. There are certain scenes in movies like 'The Shawshank Redemption' which I always remember and go back to for my personal experience, any time, anywhere, at the click of a button,' Bajpai said.

From the humble black and white TV and charming single screen theatre to snazzy iPods and nomadic laptops, the movie baton has passed through many mediums. Some bowed out with the changing times, while some have held their ground.

Tech-guru Rajiv Makhni calls the trend a 'revolution'.

'People are watching movies on iPads, laptops...All this is happening because we have gone digital. You can download a movie or you can buy one legally, the media has created this revolution and this is going to continue in many different ways,' Makhni, an authority on the subject, told IANS.

'It will change a lot of equations in future. Like if a movie is released Friday, how will it fare in the first and second weeks?' he added.

Makhni, of course, believes cinema halls will never be short of a loyal audience as 'movies will always be a large screen experience'.

So there will still be the Sunday movie outing for family members. But when they return home, animatedly discussing what they saw, chances are that a gawky 20 something will irritably hit the pause button on her laptop and ask them to hush up so she can resume watching her film, very much in the comfortable confines of her room.

Twenty-two-year-old Rakesh Rawat is one such youth. With a vocabulary that includes streaming videos, bit torrents, flash drives and DVD writers, Rawat has been downloading and watching movies on his laptop for three years.

'I don't like listening to people's comments in a movie hall. There's a certain forced ambience in a theatre that irritates me. If people find a scene funny and I don't, I hate to listen to their sounds of laughter,' said Chennai-based Rawat.

'But when I watch a film on my laptop, I can be my own self and not get affected by the artificial environment.'

While there are many who can't stop raving about their little weapons of entertainment, film expert Gautam Kaul doesn't quite welcome the trend.

'Traditionally, human society has had characteristics of a gregarious group. Cinema has been a form of sharing experience, a congregational activity. However, after the advent of the electronic age, for the first time the congregational activity has been disappearing,' Kaul said.

'You sit in isolation, you experience films but don't share your emotional notes with anybody. Cinema, in this form, is not able to give you any emotional nourishment. This ruins the original gregarious nature of individuals and leads to a change in human character. You become neurotic.'

Kaul even goes on to say that pornography will have a larger audience in future if the trend continues.

'If ever cinema is removed from its large assembly of audience, it will be a threat to family life and a loss of culture. Porn films will be having a major audience.'

The same emotions are echoed by Ashok Deshpande, 48, a worried father of a tech-savvy teenager.

'My son keeps himself locked in the room and is always watching some or the other movie on his netbook,' Mumbai-based Deshpande told IANS on phone.

'I tell him this is no way to watch a movie, it should be watched with the family. But how will he listen unless he removes those stupid wires from his ears?'

But the young are not bothered. They have after all downloaded and watched new movies like 'The Social Network' and 'Break Ke Baad' long before their actual release!

By Mohita Nagpal

Source: Yahoo News

internet is giving power to people in India to make a scam free country

While the CWG scam, Adarsh Building scam and 2G scam (and many more yet to come!) are still hot in news along with Mr. Tata's comment on bribing, this report shows how internet is giving power to people in a corruption driven country like India. Even, to book the train ticket or to get the passport done used to be through touts (and big bribes were involved, in this porcess) which, now, partially can be avoided through e-booking...this exactly shows why most of the politicians in India are opposing the computerization and e-movement and appearing unaware of many implimentations
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In Gujarat, e-literate paanwala googles NREGS, stumbles on Rs 1-crore scam

A newly e-literate village paanwala's (small shop owner) obsession with Google has blown the lid off a unique NREGS scam in Porbandar. The motley bunch of beneficiaries include affluent NRIs, doctors, government officials, teachers and well-off farmers — all shown as unemployed village labourers holding NREGS job cards. So far, the money siphoned off comes to nearly Rs 1 crore.

On paper, there are 963 NREGS job cardholders at Kotda village in Kutiyana taluka of Porbandar district. Records show they have been paid over Rs 95 lakh for their 'labour' over the past three years. In reality though, none of them have ever dug wells or built roads in their lives or actually received any money for the same under NREGS or otherwise.

The scam came to light after Aslam Khokhar (37), a Class X dropout and a paan shop owner in Kutiyana learnt how to use computers and searched NREGS on Google. "I was thrilled to find every detail of NREGS work in our area on the website. But I then came across the job card of a friend, who is a government employee.

I searched and found there are doctors, teachers and NRIs I personally know in the village, listed as 'labourers' on the site," said Khokar.

Veja Modedara, an independent councillor at Kutiyana taluka panchayat, and Congress worker like Bhanukant Odedara soon joined hands with Khokhar. The trio conducted door-to-door meetings with villagers named in the website and found they had neither worked on any NREGS site nor received any wages.

Several like Bharat Ganga (23), who has been to Muscat for the past three years, were shocked to learn that they were named as NREGS employees on record and have been even paid for their work. "How can this be? I moved out of India three years ago," Ganga told The Indian Express.

Varu Karsan Uka (38), an official with the Pashcim Gujarat Vij Company Limited for 15 years also holds the job card number GJ-21-005-030-001/726. Even his wife has been also named as a card holding labourer. According to the records, the couple had built roads and dug wells for 60 days and received Rs 6,000 for their work. "How can I possibly get an NREGS job card when I am a state government official ?" said Uka.

Dr Dayaram Babhania (58), a well-known physician in Kutiyana too holds a job card (number GJ-21-005-030-001/526), though he admits never to have lifted a pickaxe in his entire life.

Other like him on the list are Range Forest Officer Jesa Odedara, Forest Guard Arshi Bhattu, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) employees Meru Odedara and Arjan Odedara, teacher Leela Dasa, Ex-serviceman Kunti Rama and NRIs Haja Modha, who have long left the village and settled in Israel. On paper, all are 'labourers' and many have been paid too.

Kutiyana Sub-Inspector I Damor said the police probe will take a while since details of all the 963 accounts need to be verified.

Kutiyana Taluka Development Officer J Gamit said, "Preliminary investigation by the department has revealed that at least 73 cardholders are government employees, professionals or NRIs."

District Development Officer K D Bhatt said: "We will begin a door-to-door survey to find the exact scale of the scam."

Source: Indian Express through Yahoo

reviews and word of mouth are more important than the promos

Whether they're checking out Leonardo DiCaprio or enjoying the rib-tickling `3 Idiots', Youngistan is keeping its date with movies. They're such avid movie-goers that they often watch at least five a week.

And there's no more rushing to catch the first day, first show. GenY goes by the cast and prefers to read several reviews before deciding which one to watch. "I don't want to waste money on movies considering it's so expensive in Bangalore. Hence, I only go for movies that get killer reviews,'' says Aditi Gaitonde, first-year Mass Communication student, Christ University.

Aditi is a movie buff and loves foreign films, specially those from Hollywood. "But foreign language films are more touching and experimental such as `Amelie' and `City of God'. Going to theatres is expensive now and so I download some movies from internet. There are some good sites which provide all information -- from cast and crew to synopsis... Our college also has a movie club called Transtalkies, where we screen movies and analyse them," she adds.

If some prefer experimental cinema, others don't mind shelling out money if it's their favourite director. "I see who is the director and then read the reviews. I like to watch movies by Anurag Kashyap or Madhur Bhandarkar. I never go by the trailers which is just a publicity stunt,'' says Avanish Tiwary, first-year print journalism, Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM). Avanish too prefers foreign films, specially from Iran. He either sees them on DVDs or downloads them.

While Sumana Sri, a BA student from Christ College, loves to watch movies first day, first show, her college timings make this impossible. However, she still manages to catch five movies a week. Though she prefers English and Hindi movies, she takes out time for Kannada and Telugu films with her family. "I watch Hindi movies mainly because of the script. When it comes to regional films, I have no other choice but to watch what my parents prefer,'' she says.

She adores films starring Leonardo DiCaprio. "I haven't been disappointed by his movies as yet,'' says Sumana. She's an ardent fan of action and thriller movies, but detests horror flicks. "I really can't watch brainless comedies,'' she adds.

Snigdha Bose, final-year MBA student from Symbosis, Bangalore, goes largely by the reviews. "I don't want to spend much on movies and due to my packed schedules, I hardly get time. So, I download them and see them on my laptop where I can fast-forward songs and scenes I don't like,'' she explains.

Some youngsters such as Hitha Gujjar, a third-year journalism student of Mount Carmel College, doesn't mind watching any film. "I watch movies of all languages -- Kannada, Hindi, English, Spanish and French. Sometimes, we choose movies by others' feedback. I read reviews before going to the theatre,'' she admits. The cast, crew, script and acting are other essential factors which Hitha considers.

Her friend, Tanu Kulkarni is majorly into movies and but she loves the less predictable one and those which give value for money. "I enjoy Hindi and English the most but make it a point to read several reviews before going," she added.

If some things haven't changed with students over the years, it's their passion for the silver screen.

Source: Times of India

Young Indians Watch TV more than they read

India’s youthful population is constantly described as a potential “demographic dividend” for its government and also a goldmine for the businesses here to tap, so expect a slew of studies by government agencies and firms on their habits. Last week, India came out with the first national survey to find out what young Indians are reading and how that compares to how much time they spend watching TV or surfing the web.

Visitors at the Delhi Book Fair in Sept.2006. India’s youth and their reading habits became a subject of a survey in 2009, a report on which was released in New Delhi late last week.

Last year, India’s National Book Trust, a government body that publishes and promotes books, asked the National Council of Applied Economic Research to carry out a survey of the reading habits of young Indians, classified as those between age 13 and 35. The report was actually completed in February, but only “officially” released late last week.

According to the report, in 2009 the number of people between 13 and 35 in India was 459 million, or 38% of the country’s total population. Among them 333 million were able to read, 44% of them women. About 62% of India’s literate youth live in villages, which is roughly proportionate with the number of Indians as a whole who do.

Of these young people, 77% are interested in music and films, 72% in news and current affairs, 59% in religious and spiritual topics, 35% in science and technology and 34% in environmental pollution.

When it comes to the language they prefer for “leisure reading,” 33.4% are most comfortable with Hindi, 13.2% with Marathi, 7.7% with Bengali and only 5.3% prefer English.

Only about 10% of those who can read are college graduates.

Some of the findings were surprising to say the least. According to the report, “a literate youth spends on an average 98 minutes daily viewing TV” and another 61 minutes dialy listening to the radio. The report also said these youngsters spend 70 minutes surfing the Net, 44 minutes reading a magazine and 32 minutes with a newspaper. That would add up to an average of almost five hours a day consuming one form of media or another, which seems rather a lot. What about school and work?

The survey covered 432 villages and 200 towns in the country, according to a public advertisement on the report’s release in newspapers.

“It is the first formal research into the rich possibilities that lie ahead for the nation in marshalling the intellectual capacity of youth for national progress,” said Rajesh Shukla, a senior fellow at NCAER who wrote the report, at its release according to a statement from the National Book Trust.

Source: Wall Street Journal

GenNext is not all about moolah- Time of India report

India's urban whiz kids may be quite different in reality from the picture many of us may have of spoilt brats who spend hours on the internet and the rest of their time splurging on movies and the like. They may also not be as money-obsessed in theircareer aspirations as they are often made out to be.

A survey of 10,000 children from classes VIII to XII or ages 12 to 18 spread across 11 cities in India has found that over 60% spend on average less than an hour a day on the net and 83% get less than Rs 1,000 a month as pocket money, about two-thirds getting less than Rs 500.

Interestingly, when it comes to career aspirations, the thing most kids wanted from their jobs was new skills, followed by an interesting workplace. A good salary came third in the list of considerations they had. So much for the much-lamented materialism of the new generation.

The choice of careers too is quite different from a generation ago. While IT and engineering were cited among the choices by about 80%, what was revealing was that medicine (39%) is now way down in the pecking order, below even government service (46%). The third preference is media & entertainment (64%).

A survey of 10,000 children from classes VIII to XII or ages 12 to 18 spread across 11 cities in India has found that the kids may not be as money-obsessed in their career aspirations as they are often made out to be. Over 60% spend on average less than an hour a day on the net and 83% get less than Rs 1,000 a month as pocket money, about two-thirds getting less than Rs 500.

The survey was conducted among children predominantly from English-medium schools in Delhi,Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Coimbatore and Bhubaneswar. It was conducted by TCS among those who participate in its IT Wiz quiz contest every year. To that extent, the survey reflects a particular kind of child, but the trends do perhaps tell us something about the bigger picture.

What was particularly interesting in the survey findings was the fact that the responses from those from the relatively smaller cities were almost identical to those from the bigger metros.

Over two-thirds of the students said they would like to go abroad to study at some point and here the figure (74%) was significantly higher for the mini-metros than for the metros (66%), a pointer to the growing aspirations in the smaller cities. Also, while a generation ago, most would have thought of doing their post-graduation abroad, now a majority want to do their graduation or even their high school abroad.

While the home remains the primary point of access for the internet, cyber cafes and mobile phones too are used for getting on to the net by over 50% in each case. Not surprisingly, 85% say they are on some social networking site or the other, the vast majority naming several.

As you would expect of students of this profile, about four-fifths have computers at home as well as mobile phones, but what might be less obvious is the finding that almost two-thirds also have a digital camera and an iPod or other digital music player. For those fond of stereotypes, here is one that finally seems to be true: GenNext is indeed as gizmo-crazy as all have believed it is.

Source: Times of India

A discussion on this at Yahoo

desi is becoming "online pop"

the "Desi" is now hot online! Though India has slipped further into corruption, the young consumers started opening their wallet to buy desi goodies from sites like Quirk

Love "Aj Kal" (today's love-relationship)

In the youth of my parents, which was a couple of decades ago, it was called courtship. And since it was a strict social setup the boy could seldom meet the girl, so it was done in writing. Long back when education was accessible to the girls of higher class, boys smitten by them would slip admiring notes into her library books, as the boy could not summon enough courage to speak to the girl directly. How he found out what books she would read remains a mystery. Wow! This is love….is it? Really? Lets take a plunge in the 21st century.

Fast forward to the computer age, which gave social networking sites like orkut and twitter a good kick. When once jokingly I asked my nephew who is just 12 years of age, that who his girlfriend was, he mentioned about a girl from Melbourne whom he is “seeing” these days. I wish I could capture the gesture of pride his mother had that time on her face for her son having a ‘phoren’ girlfriend. Leave alone kids. These networking sites are widely used by the middle-aged people of the society. The concept of saat phere has become a merry-go-round.

At times I wish I was born few decades back so that when I tell people about my boyfriend they do not at least ask me that on which networking site we met. It is really surprising when I read about girls and boys (now it hardly matters as article 377 being legalized) exchanging vows even before they meet. Concept of love has changed and now it is more about the liberation of feelings, where people without being committed want a tried and tested partner, just as electronic gadgets. Thank God human beings do not come with a warranty and a guarantee period. Instead of falling in love people prefer logging in love.

One such ‘love by computer’ was between a ‘phoren’ (non Indian) and a ‘desi’ (Indian). A guy from his office called up his dad and said that his friend was getting married with “e-mail”. His dad sighed and said “we are far behind in villages. We still have marriages with females.”

By Ragini Sinha, INgene Trends spotter, Delhi

"Being fair" still remains "crucial" in India

Fairness still in demand among India’s “midnight’s children” (older generation)

The obsession of Indians for white beauty and their craving for fair skin, shows how important it is for a girl to be white, in order to marry a so called “decent” boy! The boy may have been bestowed with ebony complexion, but screams loud in all the advertisements he puts for a prospective wife. And how wicked can commercials be when they portray fair skin as the key to success.

The Indian brown complexion is the most elegant symbol of beauty around the world and these morons of cosmetic companies and the iniquitous, uneducated, uncreative ad agencies are promoting fairness in a society where majority of people have a wheatish or dark complexion. The so called perception of white skin is rooted in Indian psyche from the British period and still it has its influence among the elder generation about “beauty”.

One commercial shows a sad father who wished to have a son and not a dusky daughter, whose complexion, he believed, diminished her prospects of attracting a good husband, and a well-paid job. She uses fairness cream to become an eligible beauty. Another ad shows a dark girl using the same cosmetic and thereby landing a job as an air hostess.

The photoshop images of bollywood actresses/ celebrities continuously influence the perception and acceptance level of skin tone among Indians which will change slowly along with the eradication of castes and classes in the society.

“Fair & Lovely” ads of “Fairness” cream can be seen in youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-9tcXpW1DE

By Ragini Sinha, Trendspotter, Delhi

welcome back Ragini :)

We welcome Ragini in the team, again!

She, a very talented reporter and trend observer, was one of the core members who did crucial surveys and research for INgene at early years of its inception. At INgene, Ragini will play a very important role as the trendspotter and youth socio-psychology analyst of Delhi zone.

Here’s a small note what she wrote about herself:

“BEING ME....
By profession I am a journalist who also divides time between photography and observing people. An ardent fan of music and any form of time, I work with a development organization as a reporter. I can never be called a fashionable woman but has a nose for it and can easily identify fashion victims in the crowd. I can’t claim myself to be a well up-to-date, fashionista but feels strongly for those who claim to be uber-cool and actually should be arrested for committing fashion mistakes.
My idea of working with INgene was to hone my skills of observing people and bring it to some use and not be termed as someone who keeps on eyeing on public.”

"socially effective" movements are now in forefront of company's "image building" tasks

unlike "save our tiger" fake movement (one cant actually save the tigers in facebook / online but in "FOREST" !) by Aircel "ek jodi kapda" (one set of clothing for all) is working on ground.
good for all

Online Users in India and Their User Behavior- a report by India-Reports

India has witnessed an increase in the number of internet users. The behavior pattern of internet users can be ascertained with respect to different parameters, which include: users in metros, cities and rural areas, age group of population accessing internet, and purposes of accessing internet.
The surge in internet usage in small towns and rural India has been more than that in big cities and metros. In India, the youth drive internet usage. School and college going students along with young men contribute to 72% of internet activity. (Source IAMA Report – 2008-2009)
People use internet for various purposes, which include: email, information search, academic information search, music/video on internet, chatting, online job search, gaming, financial information search, booking railway tickets, online news, internet telephony/video chat/voice chat, and online banking.
Top ten sites viewed by Indians during 2009 include:
google.co.in
google.com
yahoo.com
facebook.com
blogger.com
youtube.com
orkut.co.in
rediff.com
wikipedia.org
orkut.com
Indians, being cautious buyers start online shopping with the purchase of railway or airline tickets. This is perceived as a safe bet due to uniformity of services to the buyers.
Reasons for Growth in Online Users in India.

It is predicted that by year 2015, around 65% of Indian population will be in the age group of 15-35 years. Since youth is an early adaptor of all technology, this seems to be a positive factor for the Indian eCommerce market.

Reasons for Growth in Online Users in India:

It is predicted that by year 2015, around 65% of Indian population will be in the age group of 15-35 years. Since youth is an early adaptor of all technology, this seems to be a positive factor for the Indian eCommerce market.
India has an added advantage of lowest broadband prices in the world, which is $4-$5 per month. This enhances the potential of online transactions.
Indian population has better adopted mobile phones as compared to internet. Thus, there is a huge potential of mCommerce in India. Mobile phones provide flexibility to users to connect to internet without having to find a place to plug in into the internet. The mobile penetration in India is expected to become 1 billion by 2014, which will further enhance the opportunities of mCommerce. Currently, there are about 440 million subscribers for mobile phones, which covers around 40% of the country’s population.
India has already started the efforts to provide biometric identity to all its citizens. This is equivalent to Social Security Number in the West. Having this unique identity in place, online financial transactions would become much safer as they can be easily tracked and subject to law.

Source: http://india-reports.in/uncategorized/analysis-of-the-online-user-behavior-in-india/

Youth Readership survey - A brief overview

Source: business today (http://www.businesstoday.in/) October 17,2010

Survey results, reported in the Financial Express, are:

1. India’s youth population grew at over 2% to 459 million in 2009 from 390 million in the 2001 census, while the literate youth population grew at a more rapid 2.5% to 333 million from 273 million. Growth was faster in urban India (3.15% a year) than in rural India (2.11%)

2. Of the country’s total youth population of 459 million, literate youth constitute around three-fourths, numbering 333 million. Literate youth in rural India number 207 million (62.1% of the total) and 126 million (or, 37.9%) in urban areas. A large proportion, over 41%, is in the older 25-35 age group, followed by teenagers (36.7%), with the rest in the 20-24 age bracket (22.1%).

3. Almost three-fourths (73%) of literate youth in the country are from schedule castes (22.7%), schedule tribes (9.8%) and other backward classes (40.3%), according to the survey. Currently, caste-based reservation in educational institutes stands at 15% for SCs, 7.5% for STs and 27% for OBCs.

4. Awareness of government flagship social schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is higher among rural youth compared to city dwellers.

5. Television emerges as the biggest media, with over 77% of the 333 million literate, or 259 million, youth exposed to it. Newspapers too are able to maintain their dominance, with over half (53%) of all literate youth, or 177 million, exposed to them. But in terms of preferred media for news & current affairs, newspapers win hands down, with around two-thirds (63.4%) selecting them compared with just a third (22.2%) for television.

6. Book readers (non-syllabus) number around 83 million (25% of literate youth), of which 39 million are in urban areas and 44 million in rural India.

7. Television emerges the biggest engager, with average time spent a day at over 97 minutes. Radio (61 minutes), magazines (44 minutes) and newspapers (32 minutes) lag far behind. Though the Internet reaches fewer than 4% of all youth (8% in urban areas), time spent with the medium is proportionately higher at over an hour a day (70 minutes), reflecting the medium’s stickiness.

8. Newspapers and the Internet share a high out-of-home exposure. Around half of all youth get to read a newspaper outside their homes, with shops/cafes/restaurants and neighbors as chief access points. Around two-thirds accessed the internet at cyber cafes and/or the workplace.

Interesting observation is the hour of engagement in internet (70 minutes) though the penetration is very slow (4%).

More informations at : http://ideasmarkit.blogspot.com/

National Readership Survey is available here: http://contentsutra.com/article/419-indian-readership-survey-r1-2009-some-highlights/

"petomania" is spreading into social activities

"I love animals" is spreading...and youth are mostly into loving street dogs and kittens...this trend is moving towards various social activities as mentioned below :

Source : The Hindu


Photo by Tanushree via FB

cycling is getting cooler

As I have mentioned earlier, cycling is becoming "cool" among the youth in India. A reference note:

Source: The Hindu

read more about cycling at : http://getahead.rediff.com/report/2010/jun/09/bicycling-a-new-lifestyle-choice-for-young-successful-indians.htm

"we are the blackberry boys": Blackberry is trying to go mass..in India

Blackberry is trying to become "everybody" phone in India (see this ad : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPZH4OysGZI&feature=related)...

“The blackberry boys” are an omnipresent phenomenon of “lucrative mass market greed” which is to dilute the value of this brand and to define its future (in India). A downfall from being elite to mass…as per my theory of adopted differentiation, even before blackberry gets the status of mass brand (blackberry farmers, blackberry autowalas…) the “elite class” will drop their bb in recycle bean and move to the next great phone (ie iphone or whatever comes as next big thing for elite)…BB is in India cause it already lost the status of elite phone in west (even Mr. Obama stated that he is NOT using BB anymore) due to its mass-greed and soon their fate will be same as Nokia( in India)...due to aggressive invasion of Samsung, Macromax and other brands in mass segment Nokia is almost dead in grassroots…and elite is not using Nokia cause their subordinates/ drivers/ maids use it...BB will follow this path…one can see BB mirrors/ clones are already available under various other brands (read this article)…
A product can’t cater to class and mass (other than staple foods and politics) in India and anyway BB wont be able to cater the grassroot needs.

at anencyafqs Pramil commented against the post : Drop your suits, sing and dance- The 'BlackBerry Boys' are the new craze in town "...as the brand grows there is always that temptation to make some more bucks by repositioning your brand and targeting the unconventional prospects. Many brands fall prey to it and most of them fail, because one thing in a human brain can occupy one association at a time, in most of the cases. Going against this basic law about how humans percieve and then act and react leads to so many failures in re-positioning attempts by brand managers across the globe.A very idealistic attempt that comes to my mind is the brand Lexus. After failing miserably to promote itself as a luxury car maker in the North American market, Toyota decided to create an anonymous brand, Lexus, which nowhere told anyone that it belongs to Toyota. It required sincere efforts in every aspect of the marketing function to create a brand that was no where connected to Toyota.Blackberry is trying to do something very "cheap" in terms of re-positioning a brand; just a communication facade and wrap up to enforce the Boy thing. It might give them some more boys and girls singing to their tune but more importantly and more likely, it can take away that loyal class of Executives which build the brand Blackberry.This is not at all an impressive move by the strategists and brand people at RIM."...in this article Rajiv Rao, national creative director, Ogilvy India (they created the ad), tells afaqs!, "I remember the look on the faces of the top executives in suits, sitting in business class age, having to share their seat with a young guy like me in a crumpled T-shirt and torn jeans. It was this feeling that was very similar to the BlackBerry phenomenon a few years ago - when getting a BB was like a big perk in the organisation."
"Today, besides the top executives, a lot of youngsters are using BlackBerry for various reasons. Inspired by this insight, we thought - how about getting these typical BB users singing a song about BB and themselves - and then letting a bunch of youngsters completely take over what was meant to be their stage, since they are the new users," Rao adds...
unfortunately, "a big perk in the organization @ BB is what RIM is....as a micro trend the product might become hot-cake among all the segments in India, but in long run BB will be dead within 5-6 years unless they really creep in their earlier status, which actually is impossible once the "downfall" happens...the best example is Reliance, who is perceived as "cheap" mass brand and they will never be able to become an elite...

Indian youth is changing the work place culture/customs in India

The Gen Next in India is changing the very notion of "being at office/work" as envisioned by the Gen "Grey".
Here's an article:

Source: Business Today, September 19,2010

Drug addiction is raising among the youth in Kashmir

Due to mental pressure, insecurity, frustration and physical abuse, the drug addiction is raising among the youth in Kashmir.
Here's a report from PTI

knockoff online games to lure the Indian youth

After the phenomenal popularity of Firmville among the youth in India the ‘knockoff’ games are floating in online gaming scene @ India… the quick survey got one reply among first 100 youth I had a chat: “simply crap! We hate copycats!”

"petomania" is growing among the youth in India

pets are becoming more important in the life of youth...online and offline.

An article about the pet industries in India can be read here

cycling is becoming "cool"

for more information about cycling clubs in India Bharani Shivakumar and Sarath Raju can be contacted in their facebook page :facebook page (Bharani), facebook page (Sarath Raju)

family is most important, then career

Unlike Canada, where [currently] happiness,compassion, integrity and optimism are most important than career( http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/295180) , Indian youth are more focused on family and career. They wants to "prove themselves" to their family and parents to become the best among all:

bisexualilty and youth in India

In "gen next" India, bisexuality is an "accepted" sexual trait.

Read this article: http://in.news.yahoo.com/248/20100907/1582/tnl-the-third-paradigm.html

Source: yahoo news

desi online games are ON!

after the hooping success of "earning pumpkins" and "gifting" in Firmville (late night "non adult" craze in Facebook among the youth in India) the Desi (with very Indian theme) online games are appearing in net.



Source: http://mu.ibibo.com/

more about Firmville: Yahoo answers
Desi and 'semi-desi' online games: http://www.kreeda.com/
http://www.gamekhel.com/

the "desi quest" is growing

as I have stated earlier, the "self confidence level" of "being desi" is growing rapidly among the youth of India and following the clue, a range of products are appearing with "indianized" features (...the new insignia for Rupee/ Indian currency is also one of these products; or else, why the hell the GOI will wake up to get a face for Indian currency after 60 years of independence!)...the Casio calculator with Indian comma marker and the Pine mobile with Hindi and Muslim Calendars are the latest add-ons in "desi quest" of youth in India.

Aniketh's comment

Avid blogger and SNS+gadget enthusiast Aniketh ( Aniketh D'souza) wrote in his blog "I believe and would recommend you going through this presentation by Kaustav Sen Gupta. All his presentation, his research has found relevance in what we see around these days. His insight into the youth of the nation is far advanced than any study conducted in India over the web."

the page capture:


You can reach Aniketh at Facebook or add him in Twitter (@anikethdsouza )

orkut is DEAD!

The "sentimental" value of Orkut (being the first SNS in India and a place to "meet long lost friends") seems to be vanishing...and the youth in India are leaving Orkut, finally!
see the below page capture:


Source: Orkut


Source: google insights

WHAT YOUTH THINK @ INDIA

I have asked " MP salaries are hiked! ok...but will their QUALIFICATIONS be hiked too?? what's ur say????? http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100820/818/tnl-government-okays-three-fold-salary-h.html"

the answers were :
"we al kno dt in India only salary cn rise fr politicians bt qualificatn cn nvr"
"Qualifications are rising everyday ....u r not paying enuf attention....cheating, frauds, lying thru their teeth, all of these & more are on a rise!!!"
"they have already got their bonus from common wealth games funds.then a salary hike too OMG !!"
"knw it ...its making news and still they are not happy with the 300% hike......anyways......50,000 is wat they will be gettin and still making mess of it...anyways this is wat they earn per hour un officially....corrupt indian dogs.......it will be better if they leave all this issues and strt wrking seriously on important matters of development"
"‎50,000/- plus free daily survival...most stuff starting from toothbrushes & ending to toilet tissues are state funded!!!"
"ask dem even to take dipers which they can use during never ending question hours nd .... which they are making crap out of it....every hour of the session cost more than a billion......."

Taken from my Facebook page

mobile internet is growing in India

The number of users who surf the internet on personal computers (desktops and laptops) may not have grown as fast as the industry expected it to. Innovative data plans offered by telecom operators, and reduction in prices of internet-enabled handsets are expected to make up for the gap with an increasing number of users surfing the net on their handsets.

The number of people hooked on to mobile internet in India, according to Google, now has more than doubled, from about 8-10 million in the beginning of the year 2009. The company says March-April last year was the inflation point in terms of traffic to Google Mobile, when it saw a four-fold increase in Google searches on mobiles.

“The year 2009 was big for us. We used to think that India is basically low-end mobile market with users having no appetite for data consumption over mobile. But towards the February and March timeframe in 2009, we started seeing a sudden spike in traffic in mobile Internet space. We analysed the data only to find that this is the real growth and the industry is growing,” says Alok Goel, product manager, Mobile, Google India.

This, despite the fact that the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) had recently estimated the number of mobile internet users to be around 2 million. Industry experts reason that there are a little over 500 million mobile phone subscribers in India and with the prices of internet-enabled handsets falling, the number of people who surf the internet on their mobiles presently hovers around the 10 million mark.

The low cost of a general packet radio service (GPRS)-ready mobile handset is a major factor which is driving growth. For instance, an internet-enabled handset costs at least Rs 5,000 almost a year ago. Today, a customer can buy a GPRS-enabled handset for as low as Rs 2,000.

Tata Docomo, a relatively-new entrant in the cellular market in India, says about 40-45 per cent of its subscribers have GPRS activated on the mobile connections “leading to healthy data usage”. “While it is still early days for us to put an annual growth figure given that we have been around for just over six months, data is one of the fastest growing revenue streams for us,” says Deepak Gulati, President, Tata Docomo.

The company sees mobile internet usage happening for messaging, e-mail, social networking and entertainment. “Social networking is one of the fastest-growing areas and mobile Internet fits perfectly into the scheme of things as it allows friends to remain in constant touch irrespective of the time or their location,” adds Gulati.

Most cellular operators that are seeing a huge traction in the mobile internet user base, say that the plans being offered to subscribers have also become a major factor driving mobile internet usage. Cellular operators like Airtel, Tata Docomo, Aircel have introduced innovative data plans to help users get unlimited access to data for less than Rs 100 per month.

Aircel’s pocket Internet cards, for instance, are available for just Rs 98 per month (the company also offers a 3-day plan for Rs 14) and give unlimited browsing, gaming, music. In fact, before launching its campaign in traditional media, Aircel used the Facebook to launch the campaign for pocket Internet card since the purpose was to communicate the message to the youth first. “We are the first to democratise the product (mobile Internet). We have nearly 31 million subscribers now across 18 circles of which a significant number of subscribers use pocket Internet,” an Aircel spokesperson said.

Soon after Aircel introduced pocket Internet card in May 2009, Google saw a “50X increase in Internet usage on Google Mobile by Aircel customers”, according to Goel.

India’s number one cellular service provider Airtel, too, offers data plans at Rs 95 a month. The company is seeing significant increase in mobile Internet users in rural area because of the lack of proper broadband connectivity there. Recently, Tata Docomo has launched a monthly pack for Rs 48 with a 30-day validity and 100 MB data transfer limit during the day and 2GB data transfer during night. The company has now customised GPRS packs which allow customers to get unlimited Internet access for Rs 5 per day.

“Most of these plans are non-confusing with no hidden charges which seems to have done away with the fear among the users on the cost associated with browsing the Internet on mobile,” says Rutvik Doshi, product manager at Google India. He said the devices are also becoming cheaper and smart phones are available in the Rs 7,000-10,000 price point which has made the consumers affordable to but them.

“The trend of using mobile phones for Internet access has already started picking up and we will only see this trend grow manifold when 3G services are launched,” adds Gulati of Tata Docomo.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mobile-internet-usage-onroll-in-india/386465/

71 Million People Claimed to have used Internet in 2009!

71 million people claimed to have used internet in 2009 according to the Internet in India [I-Cube] Report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India [IAMAI] and market research leader IMRB .

71 million people claimed to have used internet in 2009 according to the Internet in India [I-Cube] Report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India [IAMAI] and market research leader IMRB here today.

Active users, those who use internet at least once a month according the international standards of reckoning, rose from 42 million in September 2008 to 52 million in September 2009 according to the study, registering a year on year growth of 19%. The 'claimed users' is an important category for understanding future trends in active user base.

This surge in number has been primarily due to the increased numbers of the users in the remote urban pockets (small metros and towns) and among lower socio-economic classes (SEC C, D &E). This development has been more striking this year as the combined usage of these geographies and classes have overtaken top cities and higher socio-economic classes in numbers.This finding clearly indicates that the Internet has reached to remote masses in urban India.

The report further states that Internet usage has gone up from 9.3 hrs/week to 15.7 hrs/week i.e. a steep 70% rise. The reason can be attributed to innovative content delivery, better applications and its increased use for entertainment purposes, which comprises downloading music or videos, socializing through social networking sites and expressing one's own opinions and views through micro-blogging and user-generated content sites.

Youth continues to drive the surge in Internet use and form major portion of the total users. Among youths, the Internet is primarily being used for searching general information and for entertainment.

Commenting on the report, IAMAI president Subho Ray said: "While we are happy to note while people in the smaller towns are taking to internet seriously, for a deeper engagement we need to provide them the best innovations in the language of their choice, at an access cost that does not pinch and through a device that they have. Only then this engagement is going to be sustainable."
Source: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/internet/2010040547312.htm

Internet and its effects among the youth in India

For 19-year-old mass communication student Anshu Sharma, it is common to wake up suddenly in the night to check if there is any new mail or to see the latest update of her other social networking partners. Sharma, according to psychiatrists, is among a growing number of Indians aged between 15 and 30 years who suffer from ‘techno-anxiety’. The increase in the number of social networking websites and growing instances of its overuse have led to habits in many young people, which are causing neurological disorders, restlessness, hostility, irritation and distancing from family members. ‘‘Yes, it happens to me. Be it in the classroom or at home, I am always online, either through the computer or on my phone. There is always an anxiety to know what others are doing. I update my facebook status and tweet almost every few minutes and wait for others to comment on them. When people do not comment, I feel restless,’’ said Gaurav Saxena, who studies at a private engineering college in Delhi. He says that the anxiety is more when he is alone. Software professional Vivek Trikha says that he spends most of his free time in office in checking mails and other social networking sites. According to psychiatrist Jitender Nagpal, even nine-year-old children come to him with parents. They feel restless if they are not able to check their mails constantly or if their parents try to monitor their use of internet. ‘‘They get irritated and often this techno-anxiety leads to aggressive behaviour. It causes mood swings and leads to lack of concentration in studies or work,’’ said Nagpal. He said many children find communicating through social networking websites easier than having personal interaction. He added, ‘‘There is every possibility that such children may become introverts when they grow up. They may not perform well in seminars, recitations and group discussions.’’ India has more than 50 million internet users and the number is increasing fast. A major section of internet users (85%) are between the age-group of 19-40 years. Five to six years ago, there were mails, then came the option to chat and now there is a flurry of social networking sites Psychiatrists say they receive more than five to six cases of psychological problems caused by the overuse of internet almost every day. The problems include lack of attention or focus, difficulty in processing real time information, anxiety and mood swings. It leads to irregular sleeping habits, which can cause other health problems. ‘‘Parents should monitor the use of internet by children and help them communicate real time as much as possible. For grown-ups, there is a need to first identify the problem and accept it. Self-assessment can help and in extreme cases counseling may be required,’’ said another expert.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Net-worked-youth-lose-sleep/articleshow/6273319.cms