Thanks to improved connectivity and the availability of more affordable devices resulting from rapid technological advancement, our lives are becoming more digitally driven.
With just our smartphones, for example, we can now catch up on the latest news; pay our bills or groceries; run a business; search for a job; communicate easily with family members and friends; and countless of other things.
Given how the digital world is offering numerous ways and possibilities to us as individuals or organisations, we are now able to lead a “digital lifestyle” – a form of lifestyle that revolves around the use of digital technology to enrich our quality of lives.
However, not everyone has the same digital lifestyle, for each of us have different needs, wants and aspirations, and those depend on our socio-economic status, cultural backgrounds and many other factors.
Kantar TNS, a global market research and market information group, outlines six types of digital lifestyles. While these categorisations are designed for businesses to better determine their target market, they provide us the general public a glimpse of the various ways people use digital technology:
Aspirers: They are those who access the Internet from home most of the time but want to be more active on their mobile devices in hopes of expanding their online presence.
Influencers: They are usually young people who love mobile Internet, blog regularly and shop online a lot. They are also passionate about social media and tend to have a loud voice online.
Communicators enjoy interacting with people online and offline
Communicators: They are those who enjoy interacting with people, be it online via social media and e-mail, or offline through face to face meetings. As smartphone users, they access the Internet from their home and workplace.
Knowledge-seekers: For these people, the Internet is where they conduct research, whether to gain more knowledge or gather information in making a purchasing decision. They have less interest in social media, although they do appreciate connecting with like-minded people.
Functionals: They utilise the Internet for practical reasons, i.e. e-mailing, reading news reports, checking the weather and online shopping. They are not keen in social media due to security and privacy concerns.
Networkers: Usually leading busy lives, they depend on the Internet and social networking sites to establish and maintain relationships. However, unlike influencers, networkers do not have a loud voice online.
