How Kenyans Use The Internet

The Internet is the new way of life, it is a new way of doing business and a new way of everything, it is an amazing discovery that transformed the world since the 90s and beyond. By the turn of the decade many Kenyans were already on the internet with at least an email address actually this was only limited to the urban Kenyans.

Kenyans are considered to have skipped some steps in the ladder of technology, you may have noticed it we did not travel the full distance but jumped to the modern internet age we are in now. I have been thinking and have researched on the lives of Kenyans online and these are my conclusions.

How Kenyans use the Internet

I don’t know why I chose that heading maybe it is because of what I will focus on and maybe is should read “What Kenyans Use the Internet For”. I really don’t know the difference but maybe by the end of this article we shall have actually touched on what the title is all about.

I have made a list, broad in actual sense I did not dare to dig into the details because it will bore you reading all the technical details, nobody reads the details anyway. So direct into the list and here is what stands.

1. Socialize:

You guessed right, yes I am talking about Social Media, it makes sense why I placed it on the number one spot, The largest chunk of our population is composed of the youth and these are the kind of people you will see glued to a phone (Wait did I tell you that mobile phone accounts for more than 60% of devices Kenyans use to access the Internet? Well I have told you), in cyber and so on. Lately my father has joined Facebook, My uncle is on WhatsApp and Instagram I am sure will be my mother’s next move.

While on Social Media Kenyans do the following: 

• Chat
• Watch Movies
• Share information such as photos, videos
• Attack a chuck of the population be it politicians, celebrities other countries
• Socialize

2. Find Jobs and Opportunities

This is the second most popular way Kenyans are using the internet for. The population of the country that is employed is enormous and this translates to many people getting online daily to look for job listings. The internet provides a means to connecting these people to the job listings online. Imagine if there were no internet the number of job boards that could be around. 

3. Academic Purposes

You will think am not serious when I mention online Academic research as the Third way on how Kenyans use the internet, unless you are in an academic institution you may not understand, Academic institutions are where we hide the largest part of our population, the youth. I remember in 2006 when I joined campus and were given term papers we could storm the library and read and research and come out with strong points and complete research, all that changed in 2009 when the school bought new computers and improved the internet connection, we dumped books for the internet where we got everything the teacher asked for, it was just copy and paste even my final project I copied from the internet.

4. Dating and Relationships

Well the youth, the largest chunk of our population; at this point you may have noticed I have used the Youth in almost all the categories I have mentioned, you must be stupid if you did not know that the youth embrace technology more than any other group in the society everywhere. The youth use these dating sites more and more than any other group in society.

Now dating sites are more less Social Media Sites but I chose to place them under their own category since dating and relationships are a sensitive issue. This is dominated by singles of all ages from 18 to even 60s. When it comes to gender Kenyan men in their twenties are the largest percentage that uses these sites while older women from age 26 and above use the sites in search for foreign men.

5. Access To Information, News and Sports Updates:

Getting sports updates dominates this category of getting information online. The internet is changing both broadcast media as well as print media industries making established media bodies to adapt technology as a channel to reach their audience. The internet has also seen the rise of many gutter press media and online gossip blogs that are a magnet. 

6. To Download Music and Videos: 

The number of music and videos downloaded in Kenya is increasing daily with the betterment of internet infrastructure, the development and introduction of fiber cable networks has brought faster internet to many Kenyans. I don’t buy my movies I just download them. Business has contributed to the downloading of videos with the many video shops are being set up around the estates every day.

7. Make Money Online:

I do not want to group making money online with the next category Business transactions, maybe you can do that. There are serious guys out there who have realized that there is gold online and are working tirelessly making dollars to support themselves and their families. They make money online through blogging, academic writing, Posting Videos, Internet marketing and many other undocumented ways.

8. Business Transactions

The way Kenyans are doing business is changing; we are now seeing many Kenyans buying and selling goods and services online. Online shops are being set up on the internet targeting the Kenyan market. When large corporations hold business meetings through teleconferencing other Kenyan individuals are not left behind they engage online through the same channels sealing business deals.

9. Others

I do not like being grouped in the ‘Others’ category but I have to group the following as how Kenyans use the internet under the broad others category and include: Searching for directions, Looking for Events, Online Gambling, Playing games online etc.

Final Words:

Well this took sometime gathering the above information, it may please you or may not, and you may find it accurate others will find it not. I say it is a generation and will give room for criticism, correction or even addition and support. What do you use the internet for? May Your Comments come in please.