New research from Deloitte has found that 90% of 18-75-year-olds in Ireland - approximately 3 million people - now own or have access to a smartphone.
The research of 1000 people shows that consumers use their phones most for text messaging – 68% do this on a daily basis. This is followed by voice calls (65%), instant messaging (64%), email (63%) and social networks (59%). Fifty four percent of Irish consumers read the news on their phone on a daily basis, 25% watch short videos or live posts/stories, 21% watch videos shared on instant messaging networks and 18% take photos.
Overall, 40% of Irish people look at their smartphones within five minutes of waking and three quarters (76%) do so within half an hour. At the end of the day, 30% check their phone within five minutes of going to sleep. The research also reveals that 89% of people use their phone when spending time with family and friends.
Half of Irish people think they use their mobile phone too much. In response to how often they use their smartphone, Irish consumers responded with an average of 57 times a day, compared to a European average of 41 times a day. Sixteen percent of Irish consumers admitted to checking their phone more than 100 times a day. Furthermore, while half of consumers think they use their phone too much, nearly 60% think their partners use their phone too much.
The research shows that more females than males (57% v 37%) believe they are using their phones too much, and this perception is most apparent in the 25-34 age group (62%), compared to the 65-75 age group (21%).
Commenting on the research, Partner and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Deloitte, Richard Howard said, "Mobile devices are a relatively new ‘addiction’ to our social fabric and they form an important part of our daily activities and interactions. Social norms will develop over time, and it will be interesting to see if the fear of being without one’s phone – nomophobia – starts to become more widely recognised. We expect to see phone manufacturers continue to put more usage controls into devices to prevent dangerous usage."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
