Indians spend 194 minutes a day on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and X

Tech and policy think tank Esya Centre has found that daily engagement in terms of time spent is the highest for social media at 194 minutes a day. This number for OTT and Online Gaming stands at 44 minutes and 46 minutes, respectively, and when it comes to time and use pattern, a median user spends less than Rs 100 a month and less than an hour a day on online gaming while the corresponding number is Rs 200-400 for OTT. 

This was part of a report it released titled “New-Age Digital Consumption: A Survey of Social Media, OTT Content and Online Gaming” in which it called India’s regulatory landscape more progressive than its peers. “India is moving from a command-and-control model of regulatory oversight to a light touch model for new industries. While technology is dynamic, consumption patterns are more predictable. Therefore, building a profile of a Digital Nagrik and their consumption patterns can form the crux to an agile policy ecosystem for the three sectors. An attempt our report aims to make,” Rajat Sharma, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) said. 

The report comes after the GST Council’s meeting that changed the GST levied on the online gaming industry from 18% on Gross Gaming revenue (GGR) to 28% on deposits, leading to a 350%-400% jump in the industry’s GST outgo. User addiction and loss of money were cited as some key reasons behind this steep hike. Interestingly, MeitY earlier this year published rules to regulate the industry. The rules were hailed as balanced, and laser focused on user safety. The ministry is soon expected to notify Self-Regulatory Bodies for the regulatory oversight of the industry. 

“There is a lack of research examining both policy and user adoption trends in key digital markets. We believe that the findings of the report are very relevant, especially at a time when the Government is in the process of formulating user-centric policies for the digital industries,” Amjad Ali Khan, Director at the Esya Centre said. 

According to the report, users say that a 30% increase in participation fee for online games may lead to a 71% dip in engagement, indicating a high price sensitivity. This number would only be 17% for OTT. “We hope that the insights from the report will help inform a forward-looking policy stance that focuses on user protection over paternalistic interventions and blanket bans,” Khan adds. 

It also found that while all users are active on Social Media once a month, the corresponding number for OTT and Online Gaming is 60% and 40% respectively. “89% users are active every day on Social Media while only 22% and 12% are active on OTT and Online Gaming respectively,” it said. 

According to the report, user safety, grievance redressal and cumbersome KYC requirements are the three key points of concern for users across Social Media and Online Gaming.