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Internet edges out TV as most favourite medium: Synovate
MUMBAI: Internet has edged out television as the world’s favourite medium, according to a global study on media and advertising released by global market intelligence firm, Synovate.
Seven in 10 people across 11 markets cannot live without the internet or would miss it a great deal if it is not there.
Synovate global executive director – media Steve Garton said that the firm conducted the study determining where and when marketers can “engage potential customers.”
Should they join the social media zeitgeist or dabble around the edges in a wait-and-see stance? Is their brand best served by TV, print or radio? And what about the mobile platform?
“Of course the answer is all wrapped up with targeting and ROI, the same as it has always been. To do that well, you simply need to understand your audience… what they like and where their lives intersect with media and brands,” said Garton.
Synovate asked more than 8,600 people across 11 markets for their thoughts on media and advertising.
70 per cent of respondents across 11 markets say they either could not live without the internet or would miss it a great deal if it wasn’t there, while 69 per cent said the same for TV.
UK-based Synovate director Philip Shaw said the internet is embedded in Brit’s lives. “It’s not just information and entertainment, it’s communication and networking. The internet’s multifaceted nature makes it more compelling. This is something that TV cannot match.”
Synovate also asked about the importance people attached to their mobile or cell phone. 70 per cent of Chinese respondents said they “can’t live without it” and this figure was also high in Hong Kong (59 per cent) and Taiwan (54 per cent).
In all but one of the countries surveyed, a clear majority said they either “could not live without” their phone or would “miss it a great deal”. Canada at 46 per cent was the only exception.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
