The social life of people in Germany is increasingly taking place on the Internet.

According to the representative Postbank digital study 2021, three quarters of Germans maintained their contacts online during the lockdown.

"Modern technologies are currently a blessing for many," said the head of digital sales at Postbank, Thomas Brosch.

Half of the respondents stated in the study that they also spent their free time on the Internet during the Corona crisis;

they attended online sports courses or music events, for example.

Digital meetings are also increasingly replacing personal encounters among personal friends and family: 43 percent of those surveyed stated that digital meetings had become a fixed ritual.

Among the 18 to 39 year olds, 59 percent have got used to virtual contact.

"For a minority, the Internet is currently a curse, because those who are overwhelmed with the technology and do not know their way around quickly feel socially left behind," said Brosch.

"That is why it is important to provide an easily accessible offer for this target group as well."

A larger minority do not feel safe enough with apps

Almost every third person in the survey also stated that they were too little familiar with apps and other programs to take part in meetings.

Almost a quarter of those surveyed felt that they were socially left behind during the pandemic because they did not have the necessary technical requirements at home.

Not only older people are affected by this: 40 percent of the 40-year-olds also felt socially left behind.

Outdated equipment and slow internet connections made participating in internet social life a challenge for many people.

Another effect of the pandemic: More and more people are reading news on the Internet.

Looking at the current news situation had become a daily ritual for 43 percent of those surveyed during the pandemic.

35 percent of those surveyed expanded their surfing behavior during the pandemic.

Every ninth respondent belongs to the group of Internet enthusiasts

Eleven percent of those surveyed stated that they would like to use the Internet even more intensively in the future.

One in two of these Internet enthusiasts would like more news from the Internet in the coming year.

For the Postbank Digital Study 2021, around 3,000 people in Germany were surveyed in January and February 2021.

With the study, Postbank wants to find out which developments are emerging in the various areas of life of German citizens with regard to digitization in general and particularly to financial issues.