Category Archives: Media Access

Social Media FUN Facts

The most popular social networks in Western Europe are obviously the top four social networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. BUT, there are also a few domestic, native language networks that are popular locally.
 
“DID YOU KNOW that…”

FRANCE

GERMANY

  • A similar scenario has been playing out in Germany, where Facebook has virtually obliterated popular student social network StudiVZ. Facebook now has more than 22 million users in Germany.
  • Google+has more than 613,000 users in the UK, with Italy, Germany, Spain and France having between 426,000 and 341,000 Google+ users. (repetitive)

Source:

 

Social Media Fast Facts: Western Europe
Posted December 4, 2013
The author, Richard Simcott, is a Production Manager for social media management agency Emoderation.

http://socialmediatoday.com/richard-simcott/1971021/social-media-fast-facts-western-europe

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[Infographic] Media Use

These infographic images give simple and accurate information on media use in France and Germany.

1. OVERVIEW (France vs. Germany)

Overview

Overview

overview

overview

2. Internet (France vs. Germany)

france internet indicator germany internet indicator

3. Social (France vs. Germany)

france sns indicators germany sns indicator

 

4. Social Media Use

france socialmedia use germany social media use

Source:

Social, Digital & Mobile in Europe in 2014 by Simon Kemp in News on 5 February 2014  http://wearesocial.net/blog/2014/02/social-digital-mobile-europe-2014/

[video] Social Media overview

Let’s listen to two experts talking about the digital landscape and social media adoption in each country. Both videos are fairly short so I recommend you to listen to them instead of scrolling down!

FRANCE

Uploaded on Oct 15, 2011

Interview with Pierre Le Leannec from Text 100 Paris about the digital landscape and social media adoption  ——>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAwAYQIVEmg

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Q. So tell us about social media in your country. – Previously, not usually that much into online stuff. But now growing very fast recently. Diverse and active landscape.

Q. What are some of the barriers  to adoption of social media in your country? – Lots of fear social media because it represents loss of control and it may be overwhelming to company.

GERMANY

Uploaded on Oct 15, 2011

Interview with Lars Basche from Text 100 Munich about the digital landscape and social media adoption ——————-  >>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTSnsjgLmoA

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Q. So tell us about social media in your country: For platform, social media market is not that different from other markets. There are couples of local special networks. There is a privacy issue along with government.

Q. What are some of the barriers  to adoption of social media in your country?: Everyone was excited about social media last year. But now consumers want to know specifically what they get out of it. Social media is for broader purpose: PR, Marketing, Sales, Product development etc.

Q. Who is using social media well in your country? And why?: Germans are always critical about social media companies. Now there is Communication with not only media or journalists, but also customers and even politicians. It is good to start conversation with people out of company about what they are doing.

Internet Usage in France – statistics

internet

 

(2011)

France has integrated information technologies and French are above average users of the internet. 78% of them are now using the internet regularly. Frequent use is also high with 65% of the population going online everyday, up from 62% in 2011, above the EU average of 59%. Less than 1 in 6 French citizens
(15%) have never used the internet, down from 28% in 2011, well below the EU average of 22%. With regard to disadvantaged people, the rate of regular internet usage is high, 66%, above the EU average of 54%. New data on mobile use of the internet shows that in France access to the internet via mobile devices is a little above the EU average.

The French typically go online to look up information, manage their money and make use of travel and accommodation services. The most popular activity is finding information about goods and services with a rate of 69% (above the EU average of 62%). 54% perform internet banking, a significant above the EU average, and another 38% are used to make travel and accommodation arrangements online, above the average European. On the other hand, the French rely less on the internet for reading/downloading online newspapers.

76% of citizens in France have some level of computer skills, above the average for the EU of 67%. Rates of high medium and low level skills are all above the
EU average. Despite its above average rate of high skills, France is not one of the leaders in high computer skills. The leaders in high skills (Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg) have rates at or above 40%. Furthermore, 41% of the population still has either low or now skills at all. While this is below the EU average (of 49%), it is still substantial.

The EU suffers from a shortage of ICT professional skills and it is expected that by 2015 there could be as many as 900 000 unfilled vacancies in Europe in this domain. In France, 7% of enterprises recruited or tried to recruit ICT
specialists in 2012. 43% out of these (3% of firms) reported having difficulties recruiting such employees, which compares to 40% for the EU average.

In 2012, 57% of French enjoy online shopping . They are also sensitive on buying from other EU sellers; at a rate of 17% compared with the EU average of 11%. However, buying from national sellers is still more prevalent: 52% of citizens engaged in online shopping from national sellers. E-Commerce diffusion among French enterprises is slightly below the EU average. In fact,while 11% of French businesses engaged in e-Commerce sales in 2012, the EU average was 14%. Similarly, 11% of French SMEs engaged in e-Commerce sales in 2012, while the EU average was 13%. There was a decline in the percentage of enterprises purchasing online in 2012, in line with the EU average, which also decreased from 19% in 2011 to 16% in 2012.

Reference:

http://www.internetworldstats.com/eu/fr.htm

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/itg/libpubs/France.pdf

Education System in France & Germany

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The education system in France and Germany has a lot in common, but at the same time, there are several differences. Let’s have a look and find what are the similarities and differences!

France

Compulsory education (age of 6-16) covers both elementary education and the first four years (collège) of secondary education. Children are enrolled in kindergarten by their parents then automatically enrolled in elementary school. Parents may choose the educational institutions they wish their children to attend. Children go to kindergarten or nursery school from the age of three. Generally, parents are expected to enroll their children in the school near their house. Public education is free. If a child has never been to school in France, enrollment in elementary school takes place at the school or at the town hall. In Paris, a child aged six and over who does not speak French is sent by the local town hall to a school where French-language courses for beginners are available. Children under six attend regular classes in school.

Secondary education for students (16 and over) is dispensed in secondary schools and in secondary schools for vocational training. Students attend the former establishments for three years to study for the Baccalauréat général and Baccalauréat technologique examinations. They attend the latter establishments for two years to study for the Certificat d’aptitude professionnelle – CAP (vocational training certificate); two more years are required to prepare for the Baccalauréat professionnel examination.

Higher education is divided into three cycles or stages: the Premier cycle, two-year course up to DEUG level; the Deuxième cycle, third year up to the licence followed by the one-year maîtrise; and the Troisième cycle or higher postgraduate study beginning with the Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA) or with the Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées – DESS.

Germany

3 to 6-year-old children in Germany have the opportunity to attend pre-school institutions (not free). The infants are not given formal instruction; instead, their development and relations with other children are fostered through play. Attendance at Kindergarten is totally voluntary. Although, since 1996, every child has had the right to a place in a Kindergarten, there is still a clear shortfall of places.

Normally, schooling begins at the age of six in the first year of a Grundschule. Children attend the Grundschule for 4 years (6 in Berlin and Brandenburg), during which time they learn to read, write and to do arithmetic. In addition, teachers also offer some basic instruction in social science, history, geography, biology, physics and chemistry. They can try out their creative powers in music, art, and craft lessons. Sport also forms part of the curriculum at theGrundschule. The teaching of foreign languages, which used to take place exclusively in secondary schools, is now also being offered at more and more primary schools.

Secondary Level I can consist of Hauptschule (grades 5-9 or 10*), the Realschule (grades 5-10), Gymnasium(grades 5-10) and the Sonderschule (Special School). Most students are taught English at Secondary Level I. When they finish Secondary Level I, students sit the Mittlere Reife examination, which entitles them to start vocational training, to go to a vocational school at Secondary Level II or to attend a Gymnasium.

Reference

France : http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-158/protocol/social-matters/article/french-educational-system

Germany: http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/schools-german-education-system

General level of illiteracy in Germany and France

According to the country-facts data, the literacy rate in France is 99% with a rank of 37 out of 215 countries. And the literacy rate in Germany is also 99% with a rank of 20 out of 215 countries. However, I was able to find recent news articles that adult illiteracy rate is twice as high as the general expectation. Typically people think of illiteracy is a problem in poorer, less developed countries since most of the world’s 800 million illiterates actually live in developing countries. It is somewhat shocking to find out the problem of illiteracy is not a niche problem anymore in a global world. People find it hard to live as illiterate in everyday lives, even simple things such as applying for jobs, reading bus schedules or checking bank statement. Most illiterates need to struggle with everyday barrier. As they get older, their sense of sham grow and it becomes a serious psychological pressure when they do not want to admit they can’t read or write. Nowadays, more and more jobs rely on employees using computers and technology. If one cannot read, understand or write, then it is obvious that they have limited media access. They lose their rights to express their opinions as a citizen and this issue becomes more serious if the government does not remedy lack of media access, even though they are less than 15% of the population.

GERMANY University of Hamburg found that approximately 7.5 million or 14 % of the work force German are suffering from illiteracy in 2011. The research proved that 60% of those found to be illiterate were men whereas 40% were women. Attending school and getting a proper education until the age of 16 is mandatory in Germany. The most surprising fact is that 12% of those who had completed a higher level of education are illiterate. Currently, Annette Schavan, federal minister for education and research in Germany, is working on a new initiative to increase education to combat this problem.

Illiteracy in GERMANY (youtube video)

FRANCE The thing is, this is not only happening in Germany but also in France. In France today, there are 2,500,000 people, which corresponds to 7% of the population from 18 to 65 years of age, who do not have essential basic literacy skills.

Fortunately, the United Nations Literacy Decade, launched in 2003, ran Apoll, a web site financed by the education ministry where people can learn to read and write in Germany. With the use of the Internet, it helps people to remain anonymous so they can start to learn immediately, without revealing their identity to online tutors. Online learning makes more comfortable environment for illiterates because it does not matter how long people use it or where they are at. The UN Literacy Decade aims to halve the number of illiterates worldwide by 2015. Additionally, the work of the German Federal Literacy Agency is financed through donations and membership contributions. In France, the French National Agency to Fight Illiteracy, created in 2000, is also operating around 150 partner institutions to prevent and overcome illiteracy.

 

Reference:

http://www.thelocal.de/20110301/33431

http://www.dw.de/fighting-illiteracy-in-germany/a-1471255

http://blog.sofitel-berlin-kurfurstendamm.com/illiteracy-in-germany/

http://www.areva.com/EN/group-3807/france-preventing-illiteracy-with-anlci.html

http://www.grundbildung-und-beruf.info/et_dynamic/page_files/533_datei.pdf?1345035945