ONE IN three Irish people checks their phone more than 50 times a day.
The latest digital trends survey by Deloitte also found 51% of adults wish they spent less time on their devices.
In the study of 1,000 adults aged 18 and 75, 16% admitted to checking their phone more than 100 times a day, which is an average of 6 times an hour in the 16 hours they're awake.
71% of 18 to 34-year-olds say they look at their phone as soon as they wake up. This is highest among 18 to 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 aged between 18-24 and 25-34 years respectively.
The majority of adults (51%) wish they spent less time on devices, with the 18 to 34-year-olds being more likely than other age groups to say so (63%).
Accessing social media platforms (64%) and instant-messaging (62%) apps remains the top activity for smartphone users.
The number of households with smart speakers was up from 3% in 2017 to 32% this year. The number of homes with smart TV has also seen a big increase, from 44% five years ago, to 66% this year.
The use of gaming consoles is also on the rise - up 3% to 41% in the past five years.
94% of people have access to a smartphone, with access to tablets and laptops continuing on a downward trend, having peaked in 2017.
John Kehoe, audit partner at 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 94pc, with access to the old reliables such as tablets and laptops, continuing their downward trend – having peaked in 2017.”
Referring to the frequency with which people check their phones, he said: “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.”
See More: Deloitte, Phone Usage
