According to a study conducted by mobile social networking site mig33, 68 per cent of the respondents said they log on to social media to make new friends and chat with strangers.
However, 92 per cent of users in Tier-I cities said they use these sites to connect with "real" friends. The study, which was conducted on 360 respondents across the country, surveyed 'mobile-first' users -- users for whom mobile phone is the primary access medium for communication and entertainment as opposed to the computer.
"While the world was shifting from accessing internet on PC to mobile, in India, cheaper handsets and low cost data plans have helped people log into internet through mobiles and not PCs," mig33 Director (Business Development) and India Head Mohit Gundecha told reporters here.
According to the study, virtual gifts is also a growing trend. "Users gift virtual roses, hugs and kisses to impress the opposite gender. They also feel that virtual gifting helps them save costs on real gifts," Gundecha said. mig33 is a mobile social network community with over 40 million registered members globally. Launched in late 2005, mig33 is backed by venture firms like Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures and DCM, GREE Inc, etc.
Published 23 March 2011, 13:09 IST