New figures from the Central Statistics Office show the impact that Covid-19 pandemic restrictions had on people's use of the internet in March, with more people reading news online and uploading self-created content.
The CSO said that 76% of internet users read or downloaded online news (including online news sites, newspapers or magazines) in March, up two percentage points on the corresponding figure for January.
Social networking, including use of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, also increased in March - rising to 68% from 66% in January.
Meanwhile, uploading self-created content (such as photos, music, videos, text to any website to be shared) saw an increase of seven percentage points to 38% of internet users, compared to 31% in January.
With more people having to stay at home, people's use of the internet for entertainment increased and today's figures show that 70% of internet users watched YouTube-type content in March, an increase of five percentage points on January.
Meanwhile, watching video on demand from commercial services such as Netflix, Disney+, HBO GO and Amazon Prime was reported by 57% of internet users in March, compared to 55% in January.
Playing or downloading games increased also, with 30% of users saying that they carried out this internet activity in March, an increase of seven percentage points on the corresponding survey period in January.
The CSO's Maureen Delamere said that Irish life has changed following the introduction in March of the measures to address the Covid-19 pandemic.
"People were at home a lot more, with schools and many workplaces closed. This had an effect of people's use of the internet during this time" she added.
