THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERNET IN FORMING OF THE

PUBLIC OPINION AND ITS INDISPENSABILITY FOR

CONTEMPORARY ECONOMY: AN ONLINE SURVEY

Petar Kurečić
University North, Department of Journalism, Koprivnica, Trg Žarka Dolinara 1, Croatia
petar.kurecic@unin.hr

Petar Miljković
University North, Department of Media Design, Koprivnica, Trg Žarka Dolinara 1, Croatia
petar.miljkovic@unin.hr

Petra Bagarić
University North, Department of Journalism, Koprivnica, Trg Žarka Dolinara 1, Croatia
petra.bagaric@unin.hr

ABSTRACT
The presence of the Internet in everyday life of a significant part of the world’s population
has become a reality. Among the younger populations in developed countries and emerging
economies, as well as in the respectable number of developing countries, the permeability of
the Internet (as well as mobile networks, thereby giving access to the Internet practically
permanently) has reached well over 70 percent or in some cases close to 100 percent. Social
networks have become an omnipresent aspect of life for hundreds of millions of people.
Digital economy has enabled “the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, as current development in
business that is performed dominantly or exclusively over the Internet is often referred to.
Aware of these developments, we have decided to perform an online survey (the choice of the
type of survey and the media serves as a pointer of the importance of the Internet) about the
different aspects of the Internet use, mainly focusing on the importance of the Internet for
receiving information, forming of opinions and attitudes, as well as its importance for certain
business activities and/or performing everyday duties at some person’s job. We have used
Google form as a survey method, combining single and multiple choice questions, as well as
one question with Likert scale, and guaranteed the anonymity of the responders by not
collecting their e-mail addresses. We have shared our questionnaire on Facebook and via e-
mail, and kindly asked our Facebook friend as well as our colleagues to share it further.
Certain questions were used as test questions, to show the importance and power of the social
networks contrary to the “traditional” way of sharing data, such as e-mail. We conclude that,
despite their clearly shown ubiquity and importance, the Internet and social networks, still
have a lot of space for spreading, especially among the middle aged and elderly population.

Key words: the Internet, internet (online) survey, Google forms, social networks, public
opinion, digital economy.

1 INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW

The presence of the Internet in everyday life of a significant percentage of the world’s
population has become a reality. In developed countries, and especially among the younger
population in developed countries and emerging economies, as well as respected number of
developing countries, the penetration of the Internet (as well as mobile networks, thereby
giving access to the Internet practically permanently) has reached well over 70 percent or in
some cases close to 100 percent. Social networks have become an omnipresent aspect of life
for hundreds of millions of people. Digital economy has enabled “the Fourth Industrial
Revolution”, as current development in business that is performed dominantly or exclusively
over the Internet is often referred to. Aware of these developments, we have decided to
perform an online survey (the choice of the type of survey and the media serves as a pointer
of the importance of the Internet) about the different aspects of the Internet use, mainly
focusing on the importance of the Internet for receiving information, creating opinions and
attitudes, as well as its importance for business activities and/or performing everyday duties at
some person’s job. According to Techopedia, an online survey is “a questionnaire that the
target audience can complete over the Internet. Online surveys are usually created as Web
forms with a database to store the answers and statistical software to provide analytics. People
are often encouraged to complete online surveys by an incentive such as being entered to win
a prize.1”

The Internet has become a place of business and social life a long time ago. It has been about
since the Internet has become widespread, and the rise in its permeability has never stopped.
From the studies we have consulted, we would like to emphasize the ones that studied the
attitudes towards online shopping, the role of brands in shopping of tourism services, the
gender factor in online tourist services shopping, the effectiveness of marketing channels, the
use of social networks and the social capital among young population in Croatia, and the
problems of Internet use in general, that can lead to Internet addiction.

Through our survey, we also tried to compose our questions to address some of the issues
investigated by the papers that we are mentioning here.

1
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27866/online-survey.
Huseynov and Özkan Yıldırım (2016) have studied the attitudes toward online shopping of
university students in Ankara, Turkey. Internet users’ concerns toward online shopping were
assessed by considering financial issues, product quality issues, refund issues, product
delivery issues, security issues and privacy issues. Findings of this study guide online retailers
which factors to focus on in order to develop successful marketing strategies for online
consumers.

Moisescu and Bertea (2013) analyzed potential (not actual) customers of tourist services,
comparing same-respondents answers in two scenarios (buying online from a known travel
agency but with which they had never had any previous experience as customers, and,
respectively, buying online from an unknown travel agency), and two sub-scenarios (prices
similar to or lower than competition), regarding five specific types of risks (financial,
performance, social, privacy/ security, technical), and overall perceived risk. When it comes
to buying online from travel agencies, higher brand awareness means lower perceived risks,
while a lower pricing positioning strategy involves higher perceived risks by new (potential)
customers, the results showed.

Kim, Lee, and Chung (2013) identified factors that affect trust in online tourism shopping,
including transaction security, navigation functionality, and cost-effectiveness. It examines
the effects of these factors on trust and the relationship between this trust and repurchasing
intentions. An online survey of Internet users who had shopped online for a tourism-related
product or service within the past year was conducted. Gender had a significant moderating
effect i.e. the thought processes of males strongly affected the influence of cost-effectiveness
on trust and the impact of trust on repurchase intention in comparison with females.

Juščius, Labanauskaitė, and Baranskaitė (2016) tried to determine which marketing channel
was the most efficient. The authors have analyzed and described the efficiency of each online
marketing channel. Quantitative research method was used to analyze the efficiency of online
marketing channels. A survey of Lithuania’s internet users reveals the most acceptable
(efficient) online marketing channels2.

Krolo and Puzek (2014) analyzed the association between the usage of internet social
networks (in the example of Facebook) and the participatory dimensions of social capital of
youth in Croatia. The research used R.D. Putnam's operationalized participatory dimensions
of social capital as well as theories of internet social networks as potential agents of social
capital. The research was conducted via online survey in 2012 on a convenience sample of
Croatian youth (number of responders was 577). The results indicate there is a consistent link
between the usage of internet social networks and the number of memberships in non-govern
mental organizations and civil activism.

2
The authors have to the following conclusions: WEB 2.0 is a very powerful online marketing tool. Social
networks and blogs are equally useful. Company news on social networks is followed by 43% internet users and
42% of respondents read blogs. In most cases they are living in suburbs (55.6%), most seldom – people living in
rural areas (40%). 40% of respondents favored the companies that are active in the social networks. The most
popular social network in Lithuania is Facebook.com (83.4%). Other social networks are not very popular.
Chiang and Su (2012) analyzed the causes of problematic Internet use through an online
survey, where 1 094 samples were collected. The conclusions are the following: First,
novelty, security, and efficiency increase users’ online trust. Second, information and
efficiency enhance users’ sharing and anonymity online. Third, greater trust in Internet
environments leads to an increase in a user’s cognitive bias toward online behavioral
responsibility and Internet addiction. Fourth, a user’s attitude toward online sharing further
increases the cognitive bias toward online copyright. Fifth, a user’s attitude toward anonymity
increases cognitive bias toward online copyright, online behavioral responsibility, and
deepens Internet addiction.

2 METHODOLOGY

We have used Google form as a survey method, combining single and multiple choice
questions, as well as one Likert scale question, and guaranteed the anonymity of the
responders by not collecting the e-mail addresses. We have shared the survey on Facebook
and via e-mail, and kindly asked our colleagues to share it further. We offered no prizes, and
clearly stated that the results will be used only in scientific purposes, excluding any
commercial use. Thus, we relied on the interest, good will and altruism of the responders, to
provide us with answers. Hence we are aware how precious the time is today, and relied on
the kindness and altruism of the responders, we tried to keep the questionnaire as simple as
possible, in order to maximize the number and honesty of the responses, by minimizing the
time and effort needed to fill the survey and submit it. A question about the use of social
networks (with a simple yes or no answer) was used as a test question (hence the form was
shared mainly via Facebook) to show the importance and power of the social networks
contrary to the “traditional” way of sharing data, such as e-mail. Only one question (the last
one), about the social networks they use, demanded the responders to write the names of the
networks, and the answering to that question was not obligatory. Over the course of eight
days, starting on November 25th and concluding on December 3rd, 2017, we have collected a
total of 134 responses to our survey, which was comprised of 20 questions. The questionnaire
was made up of four sections. Four questions (gender, age, activity status, and income level)
were posed first, to determine the structure of the respondents. Then, the questions about the
economic value of the Internet and the use of online shopping were posed. The third section
of the questionnaire addressed the use of internet and social networks in information
gathering. The last question of the questionnaire was excluded from the results. It was of
descriptive nature i.e. the responders had to write which social networks they use. However,
hence the questionnaire was mainly shared over Facebook; it was rather obvious that the
majority of the responders use it, as well as some other social networks, but on a much lower
scale. Question number 19, addressing the use of social networks (Do you use social
networks, possible answers yes or no) was left in the survey results, although it was also
obvious that the answer will overwhelmingly be positive, hence the survey was shared on
Facebook. Nevertheless, the survey was also shared via e-mail to colleagues. Therefore, the
result was not excluded, to show the reach and speed of information sharing over Facebook.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results that we have collected show that the Internet has become truly ubiquitous, at least
among our responders. We gave our responders either the single choice or multiple choice
answers, with only one question requiring a descriptive answer: Which social networks do
you use? We used Likert scale in the question number 7: “What is the quality of good and
service bought over the Internet, compared to the same bought in “general sales” i.e. in the
stores?”

The answers to the questions determining the structure of the responders were as follows:

27
(20%)
Male
Female
107
(80%)

Figure 1: The structure of the responders by gender

9; 7% 3; 2%
8; 6% 18-20
21-25
15; 11% 26-30
45; 34%
31-35
22; 16%
36-40
32; 24% 41-45
Over 45

Figure 2: The structure of the responders by age (years)

 2; 2%
Permanent job
18;
13% Temporary job

19; 14% 65; 49% Unemployed

Supported person
30; 22% (student etc.)
Pensioner

Figure 3: The structure of the responders by the activity status

0-1000
18; 1001-2000
13% 24; 18%
2001-3000
17;
13% 10; 7% 3001-4000
4001-5000
29; 22% 16; 12% 5001-7000
16;
12% 7001-9000
4; 3%
Over 9000

Figure 4: The structure of the responders by the income level (in Croatian Kunas, 1 Euro cca. 7.5
Croatian Kunas)

The second section of the questionnaire comprised the questions that targeted the use of the
Internet in the economic activities of the responders:
 13; 10%
2; 1% No

Yes, goods only

49; 37% 69; 52% Yes, services only

Yes, goods and

services

Figure 5: Have you ever sold anything over the Internet? (One answer was not submitted)

I do not buy over the Internet 10

Services (accomodation,… 95
Furniture 6
Technological products 44
Food 11
Books and magazines 46
Cosmetics and products for… 31
Clothes and shoes 62
0 20 40 60 80 100

Figure 6: What do you buy over the Internet (most frequent)? (Multiple choice question)

45 41
40
35
30 28

25
20
20
15 11 12
9
10 6 6
5 1 0
0
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade
10
Figure 7: What is the quality of goods and services bought over the Internet, compared to the
same goods and services bought in “general sales” i.e. in the stores? (Likert scale was used, 1
– the goods bought over the Internet are much worse, 10 – the goods bought over the Internet
are much better)

Return policies 19

Delivery to home address 75

Time saving 93

Anonymity in shopping 8

Variety of supply 72

Lower price 78

0 20 40 60 80 100

Figure 8: What is your main motive for online shopping? (Multiple choice question, four
answers were not submitted)

59; 44% Yes

75; 56% No

Figure 9: Do you consider the regulations for online-shopping to be good enough?

 No 18

Yes, by Pay Pal 69

Yes, by credit cards 65

Yes, through online banking 74

0 20 40 60 80

Figure 10: Do you make payments (shopping, money transfers) over the Internet? (Multiple
choice question)

11; 8%
Yes, every day
15; 11%

Yes, 3-4 days per

week
17; 13%
Yes, 1-2 days per
91; 68% week
No

Figure 11: Do you use the Internet to perform your everyday duties (job related activities)?

None 7

"Social network addiction" 66

The loss of time for leisure
69
due to overexcessive…

Invasion of privacy 80

Personal data theft 94

0 20 40 60 80 100

Figure 12: What are the risks of the Internet use? (Multiple choice question)
After the second set of questions, the third section of the questionnaire was focused on the
importance of the Internet and social networks in gathering information and forming of the
public opinion:

Social networks 112

Internet portals 109
Online publications 76
Publications (paper) 26
Radio 44
Television 68

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Figure 13: Which sources of information do you use? (Multiple choice question)

3; 2%
10; 8%
1; 1%
Television
Radio
46; 34%
24; 18% Publications (paper)
Online publications
Internet portals
50; 37% Social networks

Figure 14: Which source of information do you use the most?

 0-30 minutes
18; 20;
13% 15% 31-60 minutes

16; 12% 61-120 minutes

45; 34%
35; 26% 121-180 minutes

181 minutes and

more

Figure 15: How much time (daily) do you spend on the Internet informing yourself?

Public service (state owned,

financed by obligatory
monthly fee)
12; 9%
Commercial TV networks
with national license
38; 28%
21; 16% Local commercial media with
the support of local
government
5; 4% Local commercial media
without the support of local
government
24; 18% 25; 18% Commercial publications

9; 7% Internet portals
Social networks

Figure 16: Which source of information do you consider least biased?

 Health 60
Entertainment 90
Culture 68
Business 26
Sports 34
Foreign politics and policies 52
Internal politics and policies 72

0 20 40 60 80 100

Figure 17: On which topics do you inform yourself the most? (Multiple choice question)

41;
31% Yes
No
93;
69%

Figure 18: Do you use the opportunity to actively participate in the Internet portals and/or
forums?

Yes
No
125;
93%

Figure 19: Do you use social networks?

4 CONCLUSION
We conclude that, despite their clearly shown ubiquity and importance, the Internet and social
networks, still have a lot of space for spreading, especially among the middle aged and elderly
population. We also conclude that online shopping has become ubiquitous among the younger
population that uses social networks and informs itself mostly over the internet portals and
social networks. There is a clear generation gap among our responders, hence the people of
over 45 years of age were mostly not reached or declined to answer, and considering that the
questionnaire was mainly shared over Facebook, confirming that the majority of the people
using Facebook are younger than the average of population in Croatia (the average is about 42
years of age). Nevertheless, the power of the Internet should not be underestimated, but used
wisely. The social network community, or to put it simply “Facebook community” shares
certain habits and patterns of behavior when it comes to online shopping (the majority uses
it), selling goods and services over the Internet, making payments over the Internet (the
overwhelming majority is making payments of different types over the Internet), and
informing themselves primarily over the internet portals and social networks. Due to the fact
that social networks, Facebook particularly, enable rapid permeability, reaching hundreds of
thousands or millions of users through sharing, as well as enabling two-sided communication
i.e. feedbacks from users in real time, it is difficult to imagine that any significant company or
institution that is in any ratio dependent on the market, can afford itself not to be present and
active on social networks.

Social networks community trusts the internet portals and social networks the most,
considering them to be least biased when compared “traditional media”, and publications,
whether in paper or online form. Television and radio stations are also not trusted much by
the social network community, especially if these are financed and/or controlled by the
national or local government.

5 REFERENCES

Chiang, I-P. and Y-H. Su (2012). “Measuring and Analyzing the Causes of Problematic
Internet Use”. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(11): 591-596.

Huseynov, F. and Özkan Yıldırım, S. (2016). “Internet users’ attitudes toward business-to-
consumer online shopping: A survey”. Information Development, 32(3): 452-465.

Juščius, V., Labanauskaitė, V. and E. Baranskaitė (2016). “The Evaluation of Online

Marketing Channels Efficiency in Lithuania”. Regional Formation and Development Studies,
2(19): 44-53.

Kim M.-J., Lee C.-K. and N. Chung (2013). “Investigating the Role of Trust and Gender in
Online Tourism Shopping in South Korea”. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, (37)
377-401.
Krolo, K. and I. Puzek (2014). “Usage of Internet Social Networks and Participatory
Dimensions of Social Capital of Youth – The Example of Facebook”. Društvena istraživanja,
23(3): 383-405.

Moisescu, O.I. and P.E. Bertea (2013). “The Impact of Brand Awareness, Brand Knowledge
and Price Positioning on Perceived Risks Associated to Buying Online from Travel
Agencies”. Romanian Journal of Marketing, 8(3): 13-22.

What does Online Survey mean?, https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27866/online-

survey (Accessed November 26, 2017).