Tag: adults

60% of adults under 35 would like a job as an influencer

A new survey from Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has revealed that 60% of adults in Ireland aged under 35 would like a job as a social media influencer as a source of income. In total, 48% of the adult population would consider a job as a social media influencer.

The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom as part of its Connected Lives survey, examined how people in Ireland use social media and their attitude towards influencers.

The research found that of those who expressed an interest in pursuing a job as an influencer – and who have full-time jobs – 56% believe they would earn more money than they do now. This means that 27% of full-time employees in Ireland believe that they could earn more money as a social media influencer than they do in their current job.

The top reasons given for wanting to be a social media influencer are having an interest in it (49%) and getting free products and services (32%). On the other hand, the top reasons given by those who would steer clear of an influencing career were a lack of interest (38%), followed by a belief that they would not be good at it (37%), as well as privacy concerns and the pressure of public scrutiny (30%).

The survey showed insights into the effect of social media influencers on our shopping habits. Over two in five (44%) of social media users said that influencers have an impact their purchasing decisions and choices.

This impact was most noticeable among Generation Z (those aged 26 and younger), with nearly just over half (54%) reporting that influencers impact such decisions. As the age profile increased, the impact waned – still, more than a third (34%) of Baby Boomers (aged 59-77) said their choices had been swayed by influencers.

While not everyone can be an influencer, Pure Telecom’s research found that we are a nation of frequent social media posters. Nearly half (45%) of the population said that they post at least once a week on their chosen social media platforms.

More than one-in-10 (12%) post on social media every day or more, rising to 16% for Baby Boomers, who are the most likely generation to post daily.

The potential consequences of posting too much were also laid bare, with nearly half (47%) of social media users revealing that they mute people if their posts become irritating.

It appears nobody is safe in this regard, with nearly one in three (32%) social media users admitting to muting a friend and one in five (21%) having done the same to a family member. In more extreme cases, one-in-10 have actually ended a friendship due to someone’s social media posts, and 5% had ended a romantic relationship.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “These figures show that online influencing has become a mainstream career consideration for many as we see an entire generation of digital natives becoming hard-working adults. Increased connectivity means that we can consume media wherever we are. With that ease of access, people are now turning to influencers for tips and inspiration on the things that are important to them – be that feeling good about themselves, cooking nutritious family meals or simply having a laugh. So, is it any wonder that so many of us want to use our talents, knowledge or interests and make a career out of them while making people happy at the same time?

 “Whether people want to be in front of the camera influencing or behind the screen watching, we at Pure Telecom are committed to providing the connectivity to make it happen.”

Connected health: Online consultations would make half of adults more likely to take concerns to GP

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces the latest results from its inaugural Connected Lives survey, which show a strong appetite among Ireland’s adult population for more accessible online healthcare. The research found that nearly half (49%) of the population said they would be more likely to bring a health concern to their GP if they offered online consultations, yet just 29% said that this is a service their GP currently offers.

The nationally representative survey of 1,004 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom. It explored public sentiments about connected healthcare, which is expected to become an integral part of healthcare systems around the world in the coming years.

Pure Telecom’s research shows that 64% of adults would be willing to have online consultations with all types of healthcare providers, where appropriate, if it meant they could help to reduce waiting times. Recent research from McKinsey shows that online consultations reduce hospital wait times by unlocking bed capacity. Moreover, the Government highlights in its 2023 Waiting List Action Plan that virtual patient engagement can be an effective tool in helping to reduce waiting times.

Showing the potential benefits of connected healthcare, more than half of adults believe that it could improve the accessibility (57%) and quality (55%) of healthcare available to them. People living in Louth were the most likely to say that connected healthcare would improve the accessibility of healthcare to them (73%), followed by those in Carlow (71%) and Kilkenny and Kerry (65%).

Not everyone is convinced by the benefits of connected healthcare, however, with almost a third (32%) saying they do not have faith that telemedicine and online consultations enable accurate diagnoses.

Often, early detection can be a deciding factor in the outcome of health issues. Pure Telecom’s research found that 58% of adults would be willing to have their health tracking device’s data monitored and shared to catch potential health issues. Over half of the population (52%) used a mobile app to manage their health symptoms or appointments in the last 12 months.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “Often, it is important that we see a healthcare professional in-person to receive the appropriate care or treatment. There are other times when healthcare visits feel like they could have been more time-efficient – both for the patient and health professional – by being done online.

“Our research shows that there is an appetite among adults in Ireland for our healthcare providers to embrace connected medicine where it is appropriate. We found that a significant proportion of the adult population – 63% – have had an online consultation with a healthcare professional in the last 12 months, rising to 71% for those aged 34 and under, and falling to 53% for those aged 35 and over. On average, 36% of adults have had online consultations with a GP. Interestingly, however, only 29% of respondents reported that their own GP offers online consultations. This suggests that people may be actively searching for GPs, other than their own, who will give them online appointments as an alternative to going in-person.

“Judging from the proportion of people who are managing aspects of their health using mobile apps, and those who are willing to have their health tracking device’s data shared with their healthcare provider, we can also see that Irish adults are taking charge of their healthcare and putting more faith in technology.

“Whether it’s via an app or an online consultation, connectivity is everything when it comes to remote healthcare. Patients and medical professionals need to be able to connect as seamlessly as possible and Pure Telecom is playing a role in facilitating this through reliable, high-speed broadband. We are committed to ensuring that as connected healthcare grows, our customers can access the services they need at all times.”

Over half of Irish adults wish they spent less time on their devices

The smartphone is well and truly ingrained in our daily lives but potentially impacts our social interactions and sleep, a new Deloitte digital trends study has found. Access to smartphones in Ireland remains consistent year on year with 94% of 18–75-year-olds having access to one.

The majority of adults (51%) wish they spent less time on devices, with the 18–34-year-olds being more likely than other age groups to say so (63%). Six in 10 (59%) of us use a smartphone as soon as we wake up, according to the survey. This is highest among 18–34-year-olds (71%) and among women (66% say so compared to 52% of men).

Similarly, half of respondents tend to stay awake later than planned because they are using devices into the night, rising to 62% and 64% of those between 18-24 years old and 25-34 years olds, respectively.  Accessing social media platforms (64%) and instant messaging

(62%) apps remains the top activity for smartphone users – both increasing on 2021 (58% and 61% respectively).

John Kehoe, Audit Partner from Deloitte said: “Over the last two years through the COVID-19 pandemic, technology connected us while we had to stay apart. Technology continues to keep us connected, with smartphone access remaining at 94%, with access to the old reliables such as tablets and laptops, continuing their downward trend – having peaked in 2017.

“36% of respondents check their phone at least 50 times a day, with 16% checking it at least 100 times a day. We can see that the percentage of respondents across all age categories checking their phone at least 50 times a day, increasing since 2021. While, these are great and useful devices, we need to be aware they can have a negative impact on our social interactions and sleep patterns.”

The smart home

The smart home continues to take hold with smart TVs growing to 66%, up from 44% five years ago. Voice assisted speakers have been the largest increase over the same period, up from 3% in 2017 to 32% this year – and 58% of us use them daily. Overall, 88% of respondents now own at least one connected device. Gaming consoles use also continues to grow, up 3% to 41%.

Entertainment

Access to video streaming services subscription is stable at 75%. Netflix is the overwhelming leader in streaming services, used by two in three respondents, followed by Disney+ at 33% and Amazon Prime at 29%. We don’t just use one provider either; in 2019 on average each subscriber had 1.2 subscriptions, this has risen to 2.2 in 2022.

  • The rate at which new subscribers are signing up appears to be falling with only 20% of respondents adding a new subscription in the previous 12 months, down from 25% in 2021.
  • Cancellation rates in the previous 12 months have also increased from 15% to 20%.

“The key driver for cancellation remains the lack of usage, however, as consumers face increasing pressure with the rising cost of living, 2022 seems to indicate a more cost-centric subscriber with cancellation because of the cost of the service, rising from 12% in 2021 to 22% in 2022. Despite the fact cancellation rates are rising, 12% are also resubscribing. This is primarily driven by content with 32% signing up for a new season of their favourite show,”  Kehoe said.

“There has been much coverage around Netflix’s plans to restrict account sharing and looking at their subscription model by introducing ads to lower the monthly fee. Interestingly, 42% of respondents would be interested in ad-based subscriptions, either with advertising covering half or all of the subscription costs. Watch this space as it is one that has real potential for growth,” he added.

Smart devices

Wearable devices continue to rise in popularity with 50% of smartphone owners having access to one. Similar to trends observed in other countries, access to a smart watch has increased (8% growth to 32%), however access to fitness bands has dropped (- 5% to 28%) potentially indicating consumer preferences for more multifunctional wrist devices, such as the smart watch.

  • The age demographics highlights a difference, with smart watches being the clear preference for the 18–34-year-olds and fitness bands being preferred by the 55–75 year olds

  • 55% of those who have a wearable or smart watch monitor their steps, 33% monitor heart rate and 29% monitor their sleeping patterns with women more actively monitoring than men (80% women vs 64% men)

“The smartphone is now the preferred device to browse shopping websites (2021: laptop), making online purchases, for online searches, checking bank balances and gaming (2021: consoles),” Daryl Hanberry, Partner and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Deloitte said. “For those over 55, the laptop remains the preferred device for most of these activities. The TV remains the preferred device for streaming, watching live TV and using catch up services.“

10% of Irish adults own cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency adoption in Ireland has dropped slightly, according to the latest data from Finder.com. 10% of Irish internet users aged 18+ currently own cryptocurrency, down from 12% late last year*.

Men are much more likely to own cryptocurrency. 72% of crypto holders are men and just 28% are women.

Bitcoin (35%) is the most popular coin among Irish crypto owners, followed by Dogecoin (26%) and Ethereum (23%).

Cryptocurrency specialist at Finder, James Edwards, says he’s surprised adoption didn’t decline further given the considerable drop in the crypto market.

“We saw huge drops in the price of Bitcoin at the start of May and June and while we did see a reduction in the number of people holding cryptocurrency it’s not as severe as expected.

“This suggests that while some people have sold, others are holding for the long term or may have actually bought cryptocurrency for the first time at what they consider to be a discount.”

Edwards warns new investors that investing in cryptocurrency isn’t for the faint hearted.

“Cryptocurrency is a hugely volatile industry and you should never invest money you can’t afford to lose. You should also pay attention to the cost of trading to make sure any gains aren’t negated by fees you need to pay as you buy and sell.”

Finder analysed cryptocurrency exchanges taking into account a range of factors like fees, regulation, coins available and deposit methods to name Kraken the best global cryptocurrency exchange.

“Kraken had excellent scores for its comprehensive list of features, value for money and 24/7 customer service, making it a great platform for anyone interested in buying cryptocurrency”.

You can view the full Finder Awards methodology here: https://www.finder.com/ie/finder-crypto-trading-platform-awards-2022

*Finder’s methodology moved to a three month rolling average in the latest report.