Two Thirds of Irish Adults Consider Themselves Connected Consumers

Two thirds of Irish adults claim to be very tech savvy and 3 in 5 consider themselves ‘early adopters or adopters’ of the latest tech. That’s according to new joint research by Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse.

Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse carried out research amongst 1,000 Irish people (conducted by Coyne Research) to explore how customers are using technology and explores the rise of the ‘connected consumer’.

According to the research, men aged 25-34 claim to be the most tech savvy cohort of the population with 85% of this age group claiming to be technophiles. The over 55s also consider themselves up to speed with the latest technology with over 40% of this age bracket saying they would consider themselves in the early adopter or adopter category. Only 9% of those aged over 55 described themselves as technophobes.

The rise of the connected consumer

The research reveals that we are a tech mad nation with the average Irish household owning five smart devices and a further third claim to have six or more connected devices in the home. The most popular smart devices are smartphones and laptops with 4 in 5 adults owning these devices.

Almost half (45%) are familiar with the concept of the ‘Internet of Things’ IOT and men appear to be most familiar with the concept with 53% of men stating they understood the term compared to 37% of women. Those aged 25-34 are the most familiar with IOT (59%) but overall recognition of the term was strong across all age groups.

When asked if they were planning to purchase a new device in the next year, half say they intend to. Over a quarter will be putting Smart TVs at the top of their list while connected home devices like smart bulbs (11%) smart kettles (10%), wireless speakers (10%) smart fridges (9%) and Chromecasts (8%) also make the list.

How we are using devices

Keeping up to date such as checking social media, emails, texting and making calls is the most commonly used smartphone function. This is followed by leisure activities such as listening to music and tracking exercise and lastly organisational tasks such as ordering taxis, booking holidays and appointments. Of these tasks, 4 in 5 say they check emails daily and 2 in 5 listen to music every day on their smartphone.

Failure to disconnect

Such is our love of technology that taking a break from screen time can be an issue for some. Two thirds (67%) claim that they only disconnect during meal times and half (49%) put their phone away at family events. However, aside from meal times and family functions, only 6% put devices away during the weekend and a mere 2% of those polled left their phones outside of the bedroom. We are so connected that 66% of respondents said they would fail a 24-hour digital detox.

“From our network of 3 in 1 stores, we were able to get a more complete picture of what our customers queries. Irish consumers have always been very aware of the benefits of technology and been keen to try and build it into their lives,” said NAME, Title, Currys PC World. “We are seeing a broader tech savvy audience than you would expect who are keen to have a more connected ecosystem around them at home and on the go. The challenge is to make the most of this connected potential without it taking up too much of your downtime, which is something we advise a lot of customers on through or 3 in 1 stores nationwide on a daily basis.”