The Internet is the main source of information for most Croatian citizens and is chosen as the most trusted media, an online survey of media habits shows.

The survey, conducted by the Ipsos market research agency in collaboration with the 24sata daily, covered slightly over 1,000 people.

A total of 78 percent of respondents said that the Internet is their main source of information, and 92 percent said they use it several times a day. Those surveyed said they spend about four hours online daily on weekdays, and more at weekends, with almost all age group saying they go online to use email; 82 percent said they do so to seek useful information and 81 percent to inform themselves about current events. Apart from email, more than 79 percent use Messenger for communication.

The survey found that older people use the Internet to seek useful information and for online shopping, while younger people use it to visit social networks, watch videos and listen to music.

The YouTube video sharing website is among the most popular, being used by as many as 93 percent of those polled. Respondents said they spend most of the time on Facebook (24.6 percent of them over two hours daily) to communicate with their friends and family.

The dominance of the Internet among the media in Croatia is also confirmed by the fact that as many as 88 percent of respondents said that they find information online that is not available anywhere else, and 57 percent said they trust the Internet the most, twice as much as television.

Some 54 percent consider the Internet the most reliable media, while 28.2 percent said so about television.

Over 70 percent of respondents said they follow the media to stay informed, 62.3 percent do so as part of their daily routine, and 59 percent use the media to find explanations of events affecting their lives. Some 70 percent follow news websites, 35.6 percent read print editions, and 23 percent use mobile applications.