Half of all 25-34 year olds are actively seeking time away from their smartphones and other internet-enabled devices, compared to 43% of all households, according to EY’s latest annual digital home survey of 2,500 UK consumers. As concerns of the impact of technology on everyday life increase, the survey also finds that heavy internet use is decreasing in the 25 to 34-year old age group with only 25% spending 30 or more hours online per week, down from 30% in 2017’s report, and compared to 28% of all households this year.
Younger consumers are also looking at alternative ways to get online, 43% of 18 to 24-year olds would ditch fixed broadband for an effective mobile broadband connection, compared to 25% of all households. And although young people may generally have less money to spend, they are increasingly willing to spend money on technology, 42% of 18 to 24-year olds are happy to pay a premium for new gadgets, with the figure for over-25s less than half that (18%).
Adrian Baschnonga, Global Lead Telecommunications analyst, EY said, “Our survey results show that younger consumers may not be as addicted to technology as we like to think. Fears of smartphone overexposure are rising, and so called digital natives are spending less time surfing online. Despite this, younger consumers remain very receptive to new experiences, and are ready to pay a premium for the latest technology and gadgets.”
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