2023 digital detox: internet use and unplugging : VCIOM: Russia Public Opinion Research Center

2023 digital detox: internet use and unplugging

Four out of ten Internet users in Russia occasionally practice digital detox.

13.06.2023

IN BRIEF

• The share of daily Internet users in Russia makes up 74%, including 35% of those who spend over 4 hours a day online (+ 12 p.p. over the five years) 16% of the Russians do not use the Internet. ;

• 66% say that in the modern world it is important to abstain from Internet from time to time. ;

• 20% of the Russians who stayed without Internet for long experienced joy (+13 p.p. compared to 2018 and 2020) 72% did not experience any specific feelings.

MOSCOW, 13 June 2023. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey on the use of Internet among the Russians.

Who is connected?

The survey findings show that 74% of the Russians go online; however, there are 35% of heavy users – those who spend over 4 hours a day online. Over the recent five years, the percentage of daily users has increased by 12 p.p. at the expense of heavy users (23% in 2018; 27% in 2019; 31% in 2020; 35% in 2023), meaning that Internet use has become more intense. Today the share of those who do not use the Internet is 16% (-3 p.p. compared to 2018).

A typical heavy user is often a young person aged under 25 (86% vs. 35% of total Russians), who has higher or incomplete higher education (40%), who has good or very good income (39%), who lives in the metropolitan area or a million-plus city (49% and 42% respectively).
A typical Russian spending over 4 hours a day online is a middle-aged person aged 35-59 (48-47% vs. 39% of total Russians), with higher education (44%), living in a city (excluding the metropolitan area and million-plus cities) (42-44%).
A typical Russian who does not use the Internet is a person aged 60 and older (42% vs.17% of total Russians), with incomplete secondary education (36%), and a rural area resident (33%).

Since 2018 the percentage of daily users among young Russians has not changed much; the number of the 18-24-year-olds has increased by 4 p.p. (92% in 2018; 96% in 2023); the number of the 25-34-year-olds, by 7 p.p. (85% in 2018; 92% in 2023). Internet use intensity has grown in both groups, but mainly in those aged under 25 (+24 p.p. compared to 2018; 86% today).

The group of those aged 45-59 show the highest growth in Internet engagement (a 20-percent increase from 55% in 2018 to 76% in 2023). This very group also indicates the biggest increase in heavy users (14% in 2018; 29% in 2023). Overall, growth of Internet users has been at the expense of the growing number of older age respondents (45+), however the Russians aged 60+ are reluctant to use the Internet (32% of daily users in 2018; 44% in 2023). Both in 2018 and today the old age group is mainly represented by those who do not use the Internet at all (50% in 2018; 415 in 2023).

Education level affects the activity of Internet use. Whereas the share of the Russians with higher education diplomas who daily use the Internet is at 83% and only 8% do not use the Internet at all, the share of those who have incomplete secondary education and use the Internet daily drops to 59%, and the percentage of those among them who do not go online is up to 36%.

Internet activity is least shaped by household income. Five years ago the percentage of the Russians with good income who use the Internet daily was at 72% and the percentage of those with low income, at 59%. Today these percentages are 73% and 70%, respectively.

Urbanization rate is a factor that influences respondent’s activity on the Internet: 84% of inhabitants of both capitals go online every day (vs 58% of rural area residents). This gap has grown over the five years (vs 75% and 51%, respectively, in 2018).

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Today a vast majority of respondents believe that one should unplug from the Internet, occasionally abstain or block access to Internet (66%). However fewer respondents share this viewpoint: 77% in 2018; 73% in 2020. Simultaneously, the share of those who think that it is important to stay constantly connected is growing (19% in 2018; 24% in 2020; 25% in 2023).

Those who stress the importance of digital detox are often those who have been actively using the Internet over the recent years: the 45-49-yer-olds (70%), and those who go online rarely - several times a week (85%), several times a month (81%) or less often (83%).
Those who say staying connected all the time is crucial are mainly younger respondents aged 18-24 (36%) and those who actively use the Internet (36% of heavy users).

Constantly connected lifestyle evokes the opposite strategies such as media ascetism, digital abstinence and digital detox. The survey shows that 39% of the Internet users have abstained from the Internet for a day or longer over the recent year, including 17% who did it every week, 14%, every month; 8%, several times a year. However, most of the respondents do not restrict time spent online; over the five year this share has increased (49% in 2018; 51% in 2020).

Internet consumption and digital abstinence are connected: 42% of heavy users and 36% of those who spend less than 4 hours a day online restrict their time spent online, meaning that digital ascetism can be found among the exhausted and satiated respondents.
Young respondents aged 18-34 tend to often restrict themselves in time spent online (46-45% vs. 31% of those aged 60+), but young persons do it occasionally – once every six months and less often (13-12%), whereas older users do it on a regular basis (21% every week).

More than half of the Russians involuntarily had to stay without the Internet for a day or longer (54%), including 37% of those who say this happened multiple times, and 17%, only once. Since 2018, such cases have become less common (66% in 2018; 65% in 2020; 54% in 2023).

Those who had to stay without the Internet involuntarily are often Russians aged 25-34 (60%), persons with incomplete secondary education (69%), with bad or very bad financial situation (65%).
Those who did not face Internet restrictions are often users with higher education (48%), with good or very good income (47%) and inhabitants of cities in general (44-47% vs. 37% of rural area residents).

Negative feelings, oppression and anxiety are what 7% felt when they stayed disconnected for long, either unintentionally or voluntarily. Twenty percent report positive emotions, a majority did not feel anything special (72%). Today more respondents enjoy digital detox than previously (7% in 2018 vs 7% in 2020 vs 20% in 2023).

Intensity of Internet use is shaped by age: young respondents aged 18-24 feel joy when they disconnect from the Internet (44% vs 20% of respondents in general); this is also true for male respondents (24% vs. 16% of women).
Most of those who feel negative emotions while staying disconnected are inhabitants of million-plus cities (14% vs. 7% of all the Internet users).

VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted 14 May, 2023. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

Key effectiveness indicators, survey of May 14, 2023: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8170; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0179; response rate (RR)*** = 0.1666. Calculations are based on the corporate standard:

Do you use the Internet? If so, how often? closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents
	2018	2019	2020	2023
I spend online more than 4 hours a day	23	27	31	35
Less than 4 hours daily	39	42	41	39
Several times a week	13	9	7	7
Several times a month	4	4	3	2
Rarely but at least once every six months	2	2	1	1
No	19	16	17	16

Do you use the Internet? If so, how often? closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents, 2023
	Total	Men	Women	Ages 18-24	25-34	35-44	45-59	60 +
I spend online more than 4 hours a day	35	38	32	86	50	39	29	13
Less than 4 hours daily	39	38	39	10	42	48	47	31
Several times a week	7	6	8	2	3	3	10	10
Several times a month	2	2	2	0	2	1	3	4
Rarely but at least once every six months	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	1
No	16	15	18	2	2	8	11	41

Do you use the Internet? If so, how often? closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents, 2018
	Total	Men	Women	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-59	60 +
I spend online more than 4 hours a day	23	25	22	62	38	27	14	7
Less than 4 hours daily	39	40	39	30	47	51	41	25
Several times a week	13	13	13	5	9	13	18	12
Several times a month	4	4	4	3	2	3	6	3
Rarely but at least once every six months	2	2	3	0	1	2	4	3
No	19	16	19	0	3	4	17	50

Do you use the Internet? If so, how often? closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents, 2023 ?
	Total	Incomplete secondary education	Secondary education (school, vocational school)	Secondary special education (technical college)	Incomplete higher education (from year 3), higher education
I spend online more than 4 hours a day	35	32	35	28	40
Less than 4 hours daily	39	26	28	37	44
Several times a week	7	2	9	7	6
Several times a month	2	3	3	4	1
Rarely but at least once every six months	1	1	2	0	1
No	16	36	23	24	8

Some people think that in the modern world you need to take time off the Internet from time to time, and occasionally restrict access to the Internet. Others say that in the modern world you need to always stay connected. Which statement are you more likely to agree with? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)
	2018	2020	2023
In the modern world you need to take time off the Internet from time to time or completely block yourself access to the Internet	77	73	66
You need to always stay connected in the modern world	19	24	25
Don’t know	4	3	9

Some people think that in the modern world you need to take time off the Internet from time to time, and occasionally restrict access to the Internet. Others say that in the modern world you need to always stay connected. Which statement are you more likely to agree with? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)
	Total	Men	Women	Ages 18-24	25-34	35-44	45-59	60 +
In the modern world you need to take time off the Internet from time to time or completely block yourself access to the Internet	66	65	67	54	64	67	70	66
You need to always stay connected in the modern world	25	24	25	36	28	26	24	20
Don’t know	9	11	8	10	8	7	6	14

Some people think that in the modern world you need to take time off the Internet from time to time, and occasionally restrict access to the Internet. Others say that in the modern world you need to always stay connected. Which statement are you more likely to agree with? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents)
	Total	Do you use the Internet? If so, how often?
	Total	I spend online more than 4 hours a day	Less than 4 hours daily	Several times a week	Several times a month	Rarely but at least once every six months	No
In the modern world you need to take time off the Internet from time to time or completely block yourself access to the Internet	66	56	70	85	81	83	67
You need to always stay connected in the modern world	25	36	25	9	11	8	10
Don’t know	9	8	5	6	8	9	23

Have you experienced any situations over the recent year when you intentionally unplugged from the Internet for the entire day or longer, or not? If so, how often did it happen? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Internet users)
	2018	2020	2023
Once or several times a week	18	18	17
Once a month	15	14	14
Once half a year or less often	12	14	8
It did not happen over the recent year	49	51	58
Don’t know	6	3	3

Have you experienced any situations over the recent year when you intentionally unplugged from the Internet for the entire day or longer, or not? If so, how often did it happen? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Internet users)
	Total	Men	Women	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-59	60 +
Once or several times a week	17	17	18	17	14	16	18	21
Once a month	14	15	12	16	20	15	11	8
Once half a year or less often	8	9	7	13	12	9	8	2
It did not happen over the recent year	58	55	60	53	53	59	60	62
Don’t know	3	4	3	1	1	1	3	7

Have you experienced any situations over the recent year when you involuntarily had to stay without Internet for the entire day or longer, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Internet users)

	2018	2020	2023
It happened once	15	19	17
It happened multiple times	51	46	37
It did not happen over the last year	31	33	44
Don’t know	3	2	2

Have you experienced any situations over the recent year when you involuntarily had to stay without Internet for the entire day or longer, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of Internet users)
	Total	Men	Women	Ages 18-24	25-34	35-44	45-59	60 +
It happened once	17	16	17	16	21	16	15	16
It happened multiple times	37	39	35	37	39	37	39	32
It did not happen over the last year	44	41	46	41	39	45	45	47
Don’t know	2	4	2	6	1	2	1	5

What did you feel during the time when you stayed unplugged for long? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who was without Internet and/or tried to stay unplugged)
	2018	2020	2023
Negative feelings, oppression, anxiety, etc.	8	10	7
Positive feelings, joy, relaxation, etc.	7	7	20
No specific feelings, everything as usual	83	82	72
Don’t know	2	1	1

What did you feel during the time when you stayed unplugged for long? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who was without Internet and/or tried to stay unplugged)
	Total	Men	Women	Ages 18-24	25-34	35-44	45-59	60 +
Negative feelings, oppression, anxiety, etc.	7	5	8	5	3	9	10	7
Positive feelings, joy, relaxation, etc.	20	24	16	44	15	19	13	20
No specific feelings, everything as usual	72	70	75	51	82	72	75	73
Don’t know	1	1	1	0	0	0	2	0

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