PATTERN OF INTERNET USAGE IN CYBER CAFéS IN MANILA: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

This study determined the profile and pattern of Internet usage of respondents in cyber cafés in Manila. The study employed an exploratory-descriptive design in which a validated descriptive-survey form was used as the research instrument. Forty-seven cyber cafés in 14 districts in the City of Manila were randomly selected. There were 545 respondents. It was found that most of the respondents were Manila settlers (f = 368, 70%), students (f = 382, 73%), pursuing or had attained a college degree (f = 374, 72%), male (f = 356, 68%), young (19 and below) (f = 314, 60%), Roman Catholic (f = 423, 81%), single (f = 470, 90%), had a computer at home (f = 269, 51%), belonged to the middle-income class (f = 334, 64%), and used the Internet in the afternoon (f = 274, 50.3%, 2 = 113.98, DF = 2, p < 0.01) once to twice a week (f = 193, 36.9%, 2 = 90.04, DF = 3, p < 0.01). Frequency of visit of Internet users was not equally distributed during the week and Internet users showed the tendency to visit cyber cafés at a particular time of the day when grouped according to profile. The first hypothesis stated that frequency of visiting a cyber café would not be equally distributed during the week when grouped according to profile was accepted. The second hypothesis, which stated that respondents would not show a tendency to use the internet in a cyber café at a particular time of the day was rejected. The study also discusses the limitations and implications of the findings.