Indian and Chinese users are more likely to make friends online than their counterparts globally, says a global survey of Internet users. Indians are also more likely to rekindle romantic relationships through the internet than other global users.

The Norton Online Living Report, commissioned by Internet security firm Symantec, surveyed 9,000 adults and kids in 12 different countries, including the US, UK, France, China, Japan, Brazil and India. E-mail was the most widely used application, preferred by 92% of the respondents to communicate with friends and family.

About 50% of those surveyed said they use social networking websites. As per the report, seven in 10 adults worldwide said the Internet has made their relationships better. The percentage was higher for India, with 90% of users saying their relationships had improved due to the internet.

“The Internet is a ubiquitous medium. More and more people are relying on it to manage their relationships with their family and friends,” Symantec regional product marketing manager David Hall said.

Globally, about 60% of the respondents said they had made friends online. Adults in China (86%), India (83%) and Brazil (82%) were more likely to make friends in the virtual world, while those in France (32%) and Japan (38%) were the least likely to do so.

Adults in India (37%) and Brazil (25%) led in using the Internet to revive an old romance. Globally, about 14% of adults said they had used the Internet to rekindle a romantic relationship.

Many users also preferred the Internet for broaching touchy subjects. About 25% of the respondents said they find it easier to discuss such subjects online than in person or by phone. In China and India, the percentage was higher at 50%.

Indian users also got the dubious distinction of not paying enough attention to security of their personal information. Users in India (67%), Italy (68%) and Japan (72%) were least likely to install security software on their computers, the report said.