Almost Half of People in Ireland Use Their Smartphones During Meals

Almost half of people in Ireland (47%) use their smartphones during meals and 70% say they spend too much time on their devices, a new Deloitte survey has found.

The survey of 1,000 people in Ireland was carried out as part of Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends report.

It shows that three-quarters of adults (74%) tend to use their mobile phones as soon as they wake up, while 54% say they tend to stay awake later than planned because of their devices. Over one-third (34%) check their phone at least 50 times a day, and 15% do so more than 100 times.

Young people are also more likely to stay up later than planned due to phone use with 73% of those aged between 18-24 and 60% of those aged 25-34 years admitting it delays their bedtime. More women (74%) than men (66%) say they spend too much time on their smartphones while adults aged 18 to 44 express the most concern.

Nearly everyone in Ireland, 95%, now owns a smartphone, and almost half of those surveyed (47%) use their smartphone or smartwatch to pay for goods and services in-store through digital wallets, up from 36% in 2023.

The use of wearable devices (55%) has declined from 67% in 2023, while the ownership or use of games consoles is down from 40% to 37%, most likely due to the lack of new console releases in 2024. Just 7% of people own or have access to a VR headset.

42% of those surveyed own a Samsung, the most popular mobile phone brand, up from 38% in 2023, while 38% own an Apple phone.

Android is the most popular phone type in every age group with the exception of 18-24 where 64% own Apple handsets and 35% own Android. Almost three-quarters of those aged 65-75 (74%), 69% of those aged 45-54 and 66% of those aged 35-44 use Android phones.

The survey found the average respondent has access to 2.3 subscription services. 74% have access to a video streaming service and Netflix is the lead service by a significant margin despite a drop in penetration from 65% of respondents in 2021 to 59%.

Just 26% now say they share a video streaming service with someone from outside their household, down from 37% in 2023. This comes amid a clampdown on password sharing by Netflix, which introduced new rules and now effectively only allow users to regularly stream from one main location.

Younger subscribers are more likely to share accounts with people outside their households with 39% of those aged 18-24 doing so and 44% of those aged 25-34.

27% of those surveyed cancelled a video streaming subscription in the last 12 months. Unsurprisingly cost was the main reason for doing so jumping from 24% to 31%, followed by lack of usage at 29%, down 4 percentage points on 2023.

Fake news on the rise

71% of respondents to the survey said they’d been exposed to online information designed to deliberately mislead. A total of 53% said they had more regularly found material online that was subsequently proven to be fake. This is up from 46% in 2023.

Television remains the most popular choice for news consumption in Ireland, with more than half the population (57%) preferring it for updates. This trend is particularly strong among older demographic,s with 83% of those aged 65-75 choosing TV over other mediums.

The most popular method of staying up to date for the 18-24 (67%) and 25-34 (57%) age group is social media, which is cited by just 24% of the 55-64 and 11% of 65-75 age groups.

Overall, 40% say they like to get their news from the radio, 39% use news websites or apps, and 38% use social media. Only 14% cite print as a preferred source.

Interestingly, more than half (58%) of 18–34-year-olds have made a purchase through social media in the last year. 22% of 18–24-year-olds and 29% of 25-34-year-olds have bought something through a brand advert or a sponsored post.

John Kehoe, partner of Audit & Assurance, Deloitte Ireland, said: “Our digital consumer trends survey shows that smartphones have become the most essential device, surpassing laptops (81%) and tablets (61%) in accessibility and consistent use across all ages. They are replacing physical wallets and remain the preferred tool for banking, shopping, browsing and gaming.

However, recent innovations have been incremental rather than groundbreaking. Generative AI could change this by making smartphones more personalised and intuitive. Despite their benefits, concerns about excessive use persist – 47% use phones during meals, and many delay sleep to stay online. As smartphones shape daily life, it’s important to balance convenience with mindful usage.”

Commenting on the rise of fake news revealed in the report, Lorraine Griffin, partner and Chair of Deloitte Ireland, Tax & Legal, said:

“Our research highlights the increasing exposure to misinformation, particularly online. As news consumption shifts towards social media, and almost three in four respondents in our survey encountering intentionally misleading content, the need for media literacy and critical thinking has never been greater. Education remains key in empowering individuals to navigate digital spaces responsibly, ensuring access to information is accompanied with the skills to assess its accuracy.”