Tag: #fakenews

57% of people in Ireland struggle to tell difference between real news and fake news

57% of people in Ireland struggle to tell the difference between real news and fake news, according to Deloitte Ireland’s latest Digital Consumer Trends report on digital usage and entertainment. 85% feel that fake news is a major problem today, with 74% relying on multiple sources for news and information.

The report also found that 42% of people in Ireland stopped using at least one social media platform, either permanently or temporarily, in the last year, with 21% doing so because it didn’t make them feel good about themselves and 5% doing so because they were being harassed or bullied.

The 2021 Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends report – formerly known as the Global Mobile Consumer Survey – is an annual survey of 1,000 consumers in Ireland, aged between 18 and 75, which explores their digital usage and attitudes towards technology.

Speaking about the report, John Kehoe, Audit Partner at Deloitte Ireland said: “The phone remains our preferred device for checking bank balances and online searches and it is very close to being the preferred device for online shopping. The pandemic has led to changes in what we do on our phones, with respondents increasingly using their phones to shop, bank and attend medical appointments.

“In last year’s survey, the phone was the most popular device for gaming; however, in the current year, the games console has overtaken the phone across most age groups, which may be impacted by significant console releases in late 2020. When it comes to living room entertainment, the TV reigns supreme across all age groups for watching TV and films. So, while smartphone penetration has grown, the increased amount of time spent at home over the last two years would appear to have boosted the popularity of more traditional devices for these activities.”

Access to connected devices

87% of respondents to the survey in Ireland have access to at least one connected device, with access to connected devices increasing across the board: 94% have access to a smartphone in 2021 (up from 90% in 2020); 61% have access to a smart TV (up from 58%); 38% have access to a games console (up from 34%); 28% have access to voice-assisted speakers (up from 22%); and 24% have access to a smart watch (up from 16%).

Smartphones are the most-used device on a daily basis, with 94% of respondents using them daily, followed by smart TVs (79%); smart watches (69%); laptops (65% – down from 76% in 2020); desktop computers (60%); voice-assisted speakers (56%); tablets (53%); wireless headphones / earphones (50%); eReaders (32%); and games consoles (31%). 47% use standard mobile phones (non-smartphones) on a daily basis.

Three-quarters (74%) of respondents have access to subscription-based video-on-demand (VOD) services, an increase of 11% year-on-year. Access has increased significantly in the over-65s age group, up from 43% in 2020 to 57% in 2021. Netflix is the overwhelming leader in streaming services, with 65% of all respondents having access to it (up from 56% in 2020), followed by Amazon Prime Video (26% – up from 18%), Disney+ (24% – up from 19%), NOW TV (10% – up from 8%) and YouTube Premium (7% – up from 6%).

16% of respondents cancelled a paid subscription to a video streaming service in the last 12 months. Of those who cancelled, the most commonly cited reason is a lack of use (29%), followed by a lack of suitable content (21%). 16% cited spending too much money on all of their subscriptions, while 15% cancelled because the free trial or discount period had ended. 20% cancelled their subscription within one day of deciding to do so, while 21% did so within a week.

40% of respondents would be happy to watch advertisements ranging from 5 to 10 minutes per hour if they were offered a reduced or no subscription fee on a video-on-demand streaming service, while 24% would prefer to pay the full subscription fee to avoid watching ads, a decrease of 9% from 2020.

Device usage

29% of all respondents look at their phone more than 50 times a day, down from 33% in 2020. This increases to 37% in the 18-24 age group. 12% of all respondents check their phone more than 100 times a day, with this increasing to 21% among 18-24s. Men check their phones on average 49 times per day, while women do so on average 58 times per day, both decreasing year-on-year. 37% of all respondents check their phone within the first five minutes of waking up – increasing to 51% among 18-24-year-olds – while 74% of all respondents do so within the first 30 minutes of waking up.

On a daily basis, using instant messaging apps (61%) and social networks (58%) are the most popular activities across all connected devices, followed by reading the news (53%); watching short videos, live posts or stories (40%); streaming or playing music (33%); watching live TV (32%); streaming films or TV series (30%); playing games (30%); and watching live streams (26%).

Mobile phones are the preferred device for checking bank balances and making online searches. Overall, laptops are the preferred device for browsing shopping websites and making online purchases, though mobile phones are preferred by the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups for these activities. TVs are the preferred device across all age groups for watching content live or via streaming or catch-up services. Games consoles are now the most popular device for gaming, overtaking mobile phones which were the most popular device for gaming in 2020.

Online shopping (for items other than groceries) has seen the biggest increase in uptake over the last two years, with 33% of all respondents doing more online shopping now than they were before the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is followed by streaming films or TV series (29% are doing this more now than they were before the start of the pandemic); online banking (28%); reading the news (27%); watching videos online (26%); communicating with neighbours and their local community via apps (18%); listening to podcasts (18%); online grocery shopping (13%); studying online (11%); and taking online fitness classes (9%).

Respondents are also increasingly having over-the-phone appointments with health practitioners (20% are doing this more now than they were before the start of the pandemic); monitoring their health via devices (13%); and having video appointments with healthcare practitioners (8%).

Social media and fake news

“A huge number of respondents – over two-fifths – stopped using one or more social media platforms, either temporarily or permanently, in the last year. A perception of too much fake news and the content being too negative were among the top reasons given for this. There was also a significant amount who felt that it wasn’t making them feel good about themselves along with a small, but still significant, amount who were experiencing bullying or harassment. With a massive 85% of all respondents believing that fake news is a major problem – and 57% feeling that it is difficult to tell the difference between fake news and real news – the recent announcement that a new Media Commission is to be established and a national Online Safety Commissioner appointed, is very timely,” said Daryl Hanberry, Partner and Head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry Group at Deloitte.

While 76% of respondents use social media and instant messaging apps on a daily basis across all devices, over two-fifths (42%) of respondents have stopped using at least one social media platform, either temporarily or permanently, over the last year. Of those who did, the most common reason cited for doing so is boredom with content (41%), followed by too much fake news (30%); the content being too negative (30%); spending too much time on the platform (25%); privacy concerns (23%); because it didn’t make them feel good about themselves (21%); and that they were being harassed or bullied on the platform(s) (5%).

85% of all respondents feel that fake news is a major problem today, with 74% relying on multiple sources for news and information, in order to get a full picture. 65% believe that news from traditional news providers is usually trustworthy. 16% believe that news from social media platforms is usually trustworthy; this increases to 28% among 18-24-year-olds. 57% of all respondents feel that it is difficult to tell what is fake news and what is real.

KeepItReal Campaign Launched To Tackle Disinformation Online. #KeepItReal #Article19

ARTICLE 19, an international organisation that works to defend and promote freedom of expression and access to information throughout the world, has today announced the official launch of #KeepItReal, a campaign on disinformation and freedom of expression in Ireland.

It has arguably never been as important as it is today, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the public to be aware of how online disinformation may be an obstacle to access accurate and reliable sources of information that may affect their rights.

In Ireland, research from FuJo – the Institute for Future Media and Journalism – and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland shows that so far social media companies have not done enough to counter the spread of disinformation on their platforms. In this climate, the campaign #KeepItReal aims at empowering young adults in Ireland to articulate their views on how to counter disinformation and protect their right to free speech in the framework of the ongoing debate on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill.

Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Pierre François Docquir, Head of Media Freedom at ARTICLE 19 said: “ARTICLE 19 has long been speaking on these issues with legal and policy experts but the debate on such important matters should really belong to the general public. This is the challenge that we are tackling with the group of ambassadors. I don’t think we could have picked a better place than Ireland to launch this type of work.

“Not only is Ireland the headquarters of social media companies in Europe, it is also in the middle of a vibrant and ground-breaking debate on platform regulation and online safety with the current drafting of an Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill and the formation of the Media and Online Safety Commission.

“The challenges posed by COVID-19 have highlighted the importance of these debates, so this really is an interesting and fascinating time. Disinformation about COVID-19 remains a threat to public health and with the prospect of a vaccine on the horizon, it is vital we remain constantly vigilant where we source our news from.

“Our ambassadors are a part of a generation that are not only highly engaged with the digital evolution of the media, who have witnessed the rise of the Internet, but they are also very aware of both the rich opportunities for expression and risks for privacy that social media presents. I am already very impressed by their engagement and am looking forward to seeing the substantial contributions made by this campaign.”

A group of young adults aged 18-25 years old from across the country will lead a discussion among their peers about how a pluralistic and tolerant society – one that listens to different perspectives, encourages dialogue and treats people equally – should respond to the issues of disinformation and regulation of social media. Well-known Irish artists, including Dublin based illustrator Fuchsia MacAree, are collaborating with ARTICLE 19 to represent through their artwork how disinformation is affecting young people’s right to freedom of expression in Ireland.

ARTICLE 19 Ambassador Laura Bartley, from Louth, said: “Although people my age are very active on social media and came of age with the rise of the internet, we still risk falling foul of disinformation, especially nowadays in relation to COVID-19 and vaccination. I want to do my part to make sure the young people of Ireland are equipped with the tools to make informed and safe decisions.

“During my studies, I was really interested in the impact of technology on human rights, democracy and violent extremism and knew I had something to offer to the discussion. My generation understands the long-lasting impact of the Online Safety and Media Regulations Bill and we will be the ones most affected by these discussions”.

Fellow Ambassador Ruairí Harrison, from Dublin, added: “As a passionate free speech advocate, I joined ARTICLE 19 as a youth ambassador in order to help highlight disinformation issues in Ireland and promote the broader democratic benefits of informed public debate on divisive issues. In the recent months during the pandemic, I have seen first-hand how rapidly disinformation can spread, and fragile Ireland is to the threats it poses. We can only act as citizens if we have access to reliable information.

“It is vital we make our voices heard and empower young people throughout Ireland to understand how to recognise when we are being misled. We really have the opportunity to make a real difference with this campaign, not only in Ireland, but throughout the world. I am excited to get started!”

Through this campaign, ARTICLE 19 is advocating for the establishment of an Irish Social Media Council. This self-regulatory mechanism, inspired by the experience of press councils, would provide an open, transparent and accountable forum to address content moderation issues – such as disinformation – on social media platforms. This initiative in Ireland is the first of its kind run by ARTICLE 19.

Learn more about the campaign: https://www.article19.org/campaigns/keep-it-real/ and join the #KeepItReal conversation on social media.

Two-thirds of people have noticed rise in fake news since start of the pandemic. #FakeNews #Clickbait

 A new survey by Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces the results of a survey which found that 67% of people in Ireland have noticed an increase in fake news being circulated online since the start of the pandemic. It comes amidst a sharp rise in online activity globally, with Pure Telecom reporting a 30% increase in internet traffic since mid-March when the first wave of restrictions was announced in Ireland. A pet hate of mine with fake news and clickbait this is a trend that needs to be addressed.

The survey, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, found that 56% of adults in Ireland are now consuming more online news since the outbreak of COVID-19. That percentage is significantly higher for Baby Boomers, with 67% saying they are now getting more of their news from online publications.

Social media use is also up considerably, with 53% saying they have been using social media platforms more. At 62%, Gen Y counts for the greatest increase in social media use. More than a quarter (26%) of adults in Ireland, meanwhile, have been listening to a greater number of podcasts.

 

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “Our reliance on online services has been heightened since the start of the pandemic. We all want to get instant updates on the spread and containment of the virus and that has led to a significant increase in online news consumption. Usually, it’s the younger generations driving the move to digital, so it is interesting that the Baby Boomer generation has seen the biggest rise in online news consumption. Given the increased appetite for online news, our research highlights the importance of ensuring that we are all getting our information from reliable, trusted sources.

 

“The COVID-19 restrictions were – and are continuing to be – hard on us all, so it’s not surprising that more of us have been resorting to social media. It is allowing us to stay connected and maintain some sense of social activity and normality at a time that has been extremely stressful for everyone.

 

“While we all look forward to attending celebrations and gatherings again, it is clear that the online world is going to play an even greater role in our lives even after COVID-19. At Pure Telecom, we understand the central role that internet connectivity has played in the last six months and have been working round the clock to ensure we are keeping our customers connected online, and to each other, throughout.”