Tag: limit

Almost one in four people in Ireland have set screen limits on their devices

Smartphone use remains deeply woven into the daily lives of people of all ages in Ireland, but levels of digital fatigue are increasing, Deloitte’s latest Digital Consumer Trends survey reveals.

In the last year, almost one-quarter of respondents (24%) have set screen time limits on their phones.

Needing a break was the top reason respondents gave for deleting a social media app (27%), and one-quarter did it because they stopped using the app.

23% said the app they deleted was consuming too much of their time and the same amount said they were getting too many ads or sponsored posts.

Misinformation (22%), a negative impact on mental health (18%), and content being boring (16%) were the other top reasons for deleting an app.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) switched off all notifications from one or more apps in the past year, 21% stopped using a digital wearable, 19% stopped using a digital device, and 17% stopped reading e-books on digital devices.

Nearly half of Gen Zs joined a social media app (46%) but nearly one-in-three (32%) said they had deleted an existing app from their device. The joining and deleting of social media apps is lower amongst other generations.

  Joined a social media app Deleted a social media app
Millennials 27% 29%
Gen X 16% 26%
Boomers 12% 18%

 

70% of respondents said they tend to spend too much time on their phone. This breaks down to 77% of Gen Zs, 78% of Millennials, 73% of Gen X and 48% of Boomers.

82% of those surveyed said they check their smartphone at least 10 times a day and 59% said at least 25 times. Over a third (34%) said they check their phone at least 50 times a day and 15% said they do so at least 100 times.

60% of phone owners look at their phone within 15 minutes or less after waking up, which is down from 65% in 2024. More than half (54%) stay awake later than planned due to using their mobile phone.

Majority of adults say children are ready for smartphones by 12-15, but also favour social media usage limits for those under 18

82% of people in Ireland said they would support social media platforms introducing usage limitations for those under 18.

More than half (57%) would ‘strongly favour’ social media platforms requiring age verification when registering and (56%) would ‘strongly favour’ introducing usage limitations for people under the age of 18.

Despite this, most adults (58%) feel the appropriate age for a first smartphone is between 12 to 15 years old.

Nearly one-in-three (32%) believe children should get their first smartphone at 12-13 years of age and more than a quarter (26%) believe they should be 14-15. Only 4% believe the devices should not be given to under 18s and 22% believe they should be given to those aged 16 or older.

Nearly half (43%) of respondents think a teenager should be 16 or older to have access to social media.

Close to one-quarter (24%) think those with social media access should be 14-15, while 16% said 12-13 years of age. Just 4% said 10-11 years and only 8% believe social media should not be available to those aged under 18.

Gen Zs prefer to get their news from social media, but more people are reporting an increase in misinformation

The survey shows misinformation continues to rise as 59% now say they more regularly see fake information online – up from 53% in 2024 and 46% in 2023

Despite such concerns, nearly half of Gen Zs (47%) say they prefer to get their news from social media and only 34% of this generation say the same for TV. This compares to 44% of Millennials, 65% of Gen X and 75% of Boomers saying their preferred source for news is TV.

54% of Boomers and 47% of Gen X prefer to stay updated on news and current events using radio, in contrast to 29% of Millennials and 19% of Gen Z.

Just 2% of Boomers prefer podcasts, while this figure is 14% across the three other generations surveyed.

Commenting on the Digital Consumer Trends findings, John Kehoe, a Deloitte Ireland partner who has worked on the Digital Consumer Trends report for seven years, said: “With 60% of us looking at our phones within minutes of waking up, it’s clear that our smartphones continue to play a crucial role in our modern-day lives. But the number of respondents who say they either need a break from social media, are turning their notifications off, or setting screen time limits, shows that how we engage with our devices is changing. The fascinating findings of Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends Survey poses the question – are we entering the age of the digital detox?”

Efficient Data Retrieval: Optimizing API Requests for Developers

In today’s software development atmosphere, there is a lot of integration and the need to pull information from different external sources. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) help different software systems to communicate, thus making it easy to fetch information when needed. However, developers also have to remember that API requests should be executed very efficiently to maintain the performance of the system. This article provides a clear explanation of how APIs make accessing and collecting information much easier. It will also look at the use of a curl get request and how it can be used for data retrieval.

What is API?

API allows communication between two programs and provides the logic that will operate between them. It also provides a blueprint for software applications, as it stipulates rules regarding the usage of various software.

Significance of Maximizing Data Extraction from APIs

Providing strategies for faster data retrieval from APIs is critical for system performance, minimizing the waiting time, and for effective use of resources by putting them to the most efficient use. Developers face unforeseen costs regarding data usage because of inefficient API adoption, which increases the data retrieval duration and the total volume of data that will be retrieved. 

Best Practices In Requesting And Cascading The Management Of Queries

It is essential to learn and understand as many best practices as possible, especially when optimizing API requests.

Grasp the API Endpoints and Parameters

In making API requests, developers have to do due diligence on the provided endpoints and parameters. A friendly approach towards how API structure works and how data is drawn makes the data calling more reliable.

Apply Relevant HTTP Methods

For prompt and effective data extraction, it is very important to select the appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) that support the expected activity. GET requests are most efficient in pulling data out, while POST and PUT requests are used to put in or change the data, respectively.

Make Use of Pagination for Big Data Acquisition

In retrieving bigger data sets, pagination helps the developer obtain the data in a few divisions. This ensures that the system is not stressed and that data is processed more effectively.

Make Use of Suitable Authentications

Authentication methods can help combat data threats and prevent data tampering. Therefore, developers need to utilize effective authentication methods, starting with APIs and moving on to OAuth. 

Reasonable Error Handling and Retries

Mistake management and risk assessment have been termed core components in the rendering of API requests. By applying sound error handles and reattempt requests, there’s an improved chance of obtaining data in the event of intermittent errors.

Things to Note in Dealing with Large Datasets

When handling large amounts of data, certain practices will ensure that retrieval is done optimally and efficiently.

Enable Data Streaming for Large Size of Information Carriage

With the use of a data streaming system, developers can send and process data at the same time and minimize the amount of memory utilized.

Use Data Compression Approaches

Data transfers, which involve compressive approaches, reduce the size of the transferred data, thereby optimizing the bandwidth and speed of retrieval of data transfer.

Managing Rate Limit Policy

API rate limiting policies must be respected to avoid violating the terms of abuse of third-party APIs and ceasing to obtain additional data.

Keep an Eye on the API Rate Limit and Respect It

Developers need to monitor and observe the policy’s provisions regarding API usage to preempt any halting of services or blocking of APIs. Adhering to rate limits encourages good business ethics from data providers and guarantees active data flow.

Make Use of Exponential Backoff

Exponential backoff is a programming practice that postpones further attempts to process requests after repeated rate limits, preventing servers from being flooded or throttled. By adopting strategies such as adding request parameters into the exponential backoff requests, request retries can be efficiently and effectively managed.

Investigate the Frequency of Requests and Tweak for Each API

Developers can also study the frequency with which requests are made and when those requests are unnecessary so that data can be fetched more intelligently rather than making too many API calls. By tweaking request frequency, developers will make systems more effective and data access processes more efficient.

The incursion of cURL GET Request

cURL is an efficient command line application designed to transfer data with URLs and multiple protocols which comes in handy for executing API calls in a command terminal.

Benefits of cURL for Fast Data Access

With cURL making all necessary send and receive operations as APIs, communication requests become unnecessary. This is very convenient for developers seeking to improve the efficiency of processes requiring data access.

In Conclusion

Developers looking to maximize how a system is operating and improve user satisfaction must focus on how data is retrieved from the system. Implementing various strategies like knowing API’s endpoints, figuring out how to handle large volumes of data, decreasing the time to completion, popularizing limiting rate features, and using tools like cURL make the process better. Apply these optimization strategies to improve your data access methods and enhance performance in your software development lifecycle.

 

Sky’s the limit for Space Week events – nationwide call for participation!

Space Week Ireland returns this October 4th-10th 2023 and organisers at MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory, in partnership with Science Foundation Ireland and ESERO Ireland, are calling on space enthusiasts, community groups, businesses and institutions nationwide to organise their own out of this world events.

The festival, which aims to ignite a passion for space science and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronauts, coincides with World Space Week and is the nation’s premier celebration of space exploration and science. Over the week, the public can explore a space-themed festival of events and a captivating series of workshops, lectures, exhibitions, throughout the country.

Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at SFI, said: “Space Week Ireland brings the public together with the space community through events which encourage creative and critical thinking and reveal the vastness of the Universe around us. It’s the perfect opportunity to inspire people about the wonders of space and to celebrate those who work in the space industry. Ireland is well positioned to become a leader in this sector thanks to our well-equipped STEM workforce and curious young people. Through this focused celebration of Space Week, everyone has an opportunity to engage with the latest research and develop a greater understanding of our planet and universe.”

Everyone in Ireland is invited to organise an event. Whether you’re a tiny club or community group, a classroom, a large organisation or institution, or a family interested in the wonders of the universe. Those interested are invited to register an event that falls within the theme ‘Our Planet, Our Space, Our Time’, which emphasises the shared spirit of adventure, curiosity, and innovation that underlies humankind’s ongoing exploration of the cosmos. All those that register will also get a digital Space Week Kit. Events can be large or small, public, or private, free to enter or with an entrance charge, so the sky’s the limit with your imagination. All event submissions are automatically entered into a draw for a chance to win some cool Space Week Prizes and the Space Week team will help publicise your event if you register before 15th August.

Rob O’ Sullivan, National Outreach Coordinator for Space Week Ireland said “Space Week Ireland has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we’re convinced this will be the best one yet. Space Week Ireland is one of the busiest on the world stage so it’s obvious that Irish people have an appetite for all things space. We are calling all space enthusiasts, community groups, families, and businesses to engage by creating or attending an event. You can get loads of inspiration by accessing the downloadable resources on the spaceweek.ie website which has activities for every kind of group to help you plan and engage with Space Week.”

Commenting on the importance of Space Week, Dr Niamh Shaw, one of Ireland’s leading STEAM communications experts, said: “Space Week Ireland is the nation’s premier celebration of space exploration and science. Space exploration is a fascinating and important field. We all stand under the same sky looking up in wonder, so it is fitting that during Space Week everyone is invited to join in discovering the wonders of the universe. I would encourage individuals, educational institutions, museums, astronomy clubs, and other organisations to submit their event ideas and help make Space Week Ireland an unforgettable experience for all.”

Ideas for possible events include:

  • Public lectures and talks by renowned experts in the field of space science.
  • Hands-on workshops and demonstrations showcasing the principles of space exploration and technology.
  • Interactive exhibitions featuring models, telescopes, and artifacts related to space missions and discoveries.
  • Astronomy-themed competitions, quizzes, and games.
  • Film screenings of space-themed movies or documentaries.
  • Stargazing events and guided observation sessions.
  • Virtual reality experiences provide immersive journeys through space.
  • Space-themed art exhibitions and performances.

To guarantee inclusion in the programme the deadline for event entries is August 15th, 2023. To submit an event or find more information about the submission process, interested parties are invited to visit the official Space Week Ireland website at www.spaceweek.ie