In a year of significant shifts in media consumption, Singaporean internet users are spending 55.6% more time listening to podcasts than before; and 44.9% more time on their gaming consoles, according to Digital 2022: Singapore, a report released by socially led creative agency We Are Social and Hootsuite, the global leader in social media management.

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The average time spent listening to podcasts is up 20 minutes a day to 54 minutes. Meanwhile, Singapore’s gaming console use was up 44.9% year on year to 1 hour and 11 minutes daily on average – just one minute under the global figure. Correspondingly, there was a 19.4% increase in Singaporean internet users accessing the internet via console.

These are just two of a number of significant shifts in media consumption in Singapore to occur during 2021. The report also shows that Singaporean internet users aged 16-64 devoted 34% more time to reading press media online and in print year on year, for a daily average of 2 hours and 6 minutes; while the average time spent streaming music is up by 22 minutes year on year to 1 hour 43 minutes daily.

“The significant shifts we see in this year’s report are only going to accelerate. Singaporeans are adapting rapidly to the new normal, this has impacted the way we live, socialise and even the way we shop, play, invest, and see the world,” said Christina Chong, CEO, We Are Social Singapore. “It’s crucial now, more than ever, for brands to understand these shifts in order to leverage the opportunities created by the changing landscape of our online audiences.”

There was a significant fall in the time Singaporeans spent on the internet – it dropped 7.8% to 7 hours and 29 minutes against the global average of 7 hours a day. Social media use, however, rose 14% to 2 hours 31 minutes daily, putting Singapore just ahead of the global average of 2 hours and 27 minutes. This is reflected in significant improvements in reach on Instagram and Snap, up by 22% and 25.2% of the available audience respectively, and the 74% rise in the amount of time Android users spend a month on the TikTok app, to an average of 16.3 hours.

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These improvements were matched by a 25% increase in year-on-year social media spending in Singapore, bringing the annual total to $473.3 million USD.

The country’s reputation as one of the world’s most connected is reflected in the 29.4% rise in ownership of some kind of virtual reality device. Singaporeans are also more likely to have engaged with crypto investments, with 15.6% of internet users saying they own some kind of cryptocurrency against just the global average of one in 10.