Ammon News - by Mohammad Ghazal/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — Around 54 per cent of Jordanian adults do not use the Internet, most of whom say they find it confusing, according to a recent study on media usage.

The main reason preventing these Internet “non-users” from surfing the Web is its confusing technology, with 42 per cent giving this answer, the “Media Use in the Middle East, an Eight-Nation Survey” said.

Non-users also said the service was not useful (18 per cent), that they do not have computers or Internet connection (17 per cent) or that they are too busy to find time for it (16 per cent).

The study, which polled a total of 10,027 respondents in eight countries, indicated that 38 per cent of Internet users in Jordan use the service daily to look for local, regional and international news.

Twenty-one per cent use it to look for cartoons, jokes or other humorous content, 21 per cent to read blogs, 3 per cent to look for jobs and 2 per cent to look for travel information.

As far as Internet usage is concerned, the study indicated that Jordanian men spend about 15.2 hours per week using the Internet, while women spend about 4.4 hours per week.

The majority of Internet users have been using the service for five years or less, it indicated.

About 76 per cent of adults using the Internet in Jordan said when they need information, the first place they go to is the Internet.

The report indicated that 57 per cent of Internet users in Jordan said it is okay for people to express their ideas on the Internet even if they are unpopular.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. on behalf of Northwestern University in Qatar, indicated that 91 per cent of Internet users in Jordan watch news videos compared to 88 per cent of Internet users in Lebanon and 87 per cent in the UAE.

Internet users in Jordan

- 46% of Jordanians use the Internet

- 90% of Internet users have connection at home

- 72% use broadband

- 71% have wireless devices

- 94% use social media sites, mainly Facebook

- 39% use Internet daily for instant messaging

- 19% use it daily to check their e-mails

- 14% use it every day to make or receive phone calls

- 20% use it daily to post photos

Source: ‘Media Use in the Middle East, an Eight-Nation Survey’