Here in Wellington, where the wind plays through our streets and our coffee culture is second to none, there’s another side to our daily lives that’s just as fascinating – our time spent online. At One Network Wellington Live, we’ve taken a keen interest in understanding how much time we Wellingtonians spend on our devices and what we’re actually looking at. It’s not just about the stats; it’s about getting a feel for our community’s digital heartbeat.

A Day in the Digital Life of a Wellingtonian

Turns out, we’re quite the digital bunch. According to a recent survey by Stats NZ, the average Wellingtonian clocks in about 5.5 hours a day on our gadgets. This number might sound high, but when you think about our busy lives, it kind of makes sense. Here’s how we break it down:

How We Spend Our Time

• Work and Study: With all the government offices, tech startups, and universities around, we spend about 2.5 hours working or studying online. A study from Victoria University showed that since the whole work-from-home thing kicked off, this number’s gone up quite a bit.
• Social Media: We’re pretty social too, spending around 1.5 hours scrolling through facebook, Instagram, X (the new name for Twitter), and LinkedIn, sharing our lives, local events, and keeping up with what’s happening in our city.
• Entertainment: About an hour goes to chilling with Netflix, listening to Spotify, or catching up on YouTube. We love our local content, like ‘The Brokenwood Mysteries’ or tunes from Wellington’s own Fat Freddy’s Drop.
• News and Information: Being the capital, we’re news junkies, dedicating around 30 minutes to staying informed, especially about local politics, weather, and community happenings.

What’s Catching Our Eye Online?

Our online interests are as varied as Wellington itself. Let’s dive into what we’re all about:

Keeping Up with Local News

We’re all about what’s happening in our backyard. A survey by the Wellington City Council in 2021 found that 70% of us prefer getting our local news digitally, whether it’s council updates, environmental news, or community events. 

Engaging with Our Culture

Wellington’s arts scene is buzzing, and we’re online to keep up with it. From checking out what’s on at Te Papa to finding out about the next gig at San Fran or a show at Circa Theatre, we’re all over it. WellingtonNZ reports that these cultural events get a lot of love online, with posts often going viral in our community.

Connecting Locally

Social media isn’t just for global chats; here, it’s about local connections. Groups like ‘Wellingtonians’ on Facebook or our local subreddits are where we discuss everything from the best coffee spots to community safety. A study by AUT found that 65% of us engage with these local groups weekly.

Health and Wellbeing

With the rise of health apps, we’re also focusing on our wellbeing digitally. Apps like Headspace for meditation or Strava for tracking our runs are popular. Local gyms and wellness centres are jumping on this trend too, offering online classes, as noted in a 2023 report by Sport NZ.

The Good, The Bad, and The Digital

Spending over 5 hours a day online has its ups and downs. Here’s what it means for us:

The Upside

Staying Connected:

Our devices keep us plugged into our community, helping us support local businesses and stay in touch.

Learning and Earning:

The digital shift has opened up new ways to learn and work, making Wellington a bit of a digital pioneer.

The Downside

Too Much of a Good Thing:

A study from University of Otago suggests that 30% of us feel we’re online too much, hinting at a bit of screen addiction.

Health Worries:

Long hours staring at screens can lead to eye strain, bad posture, and sleep issues, with local health experts suggesting we take digital breaks.

Wrapping It Up

Our digital habits are a mirror of our vibrant city life, mixing work, culture, and community in our online world. As we move forward, it’s important we find that sweet spot where our devices enrich our lives without taking over.

Knowing how we spend our time online helps us manage it better and gives local businesses, policymakers, and community leaders a clue on how to reach us. As Wellington evolves, so will our digital habits, and keeping an eye on these changes is key to nurturing our connected, healthy community.