In Ofcom’s most recent ‘Communications Market Report’ they measured confidence and knowledge of communications technology among approximately 2,000 adults and 800 children.
Some interesting findings pulled out by ‘Research Live’ that suggest a much higher digital confidence and understanding among younger age groups are as follows:
- Six year olds claim to have the same understanding of communications technology as 45 year olds
- Even a few year’s difference in age can impact on how people are communicating; the research found that 12-15 year olds are developing distinct habits compared with 16-24 year olds. Verbal communication via the telephone is decreasing among children, with only 3% of 12-15 year olds’ communications time spent making voice calls and 94% spent communicating via instant messaging and social networking
- In contrast, older generations are still communicating verbally via their phones. The research established that on average, 20% of UK adults’ communications time is spent talking on landlines or mobile phones
- Almost 9 in 10 (88%) of 16-24 year olds claim to own a Smartphone, compared with just 14% of the 65+ age group
- 16-24’s appear to be spending three hours 36 minutes each day on their smartphones, which was nearly three times that of all UK adults
This suggests that tech-savvy youngsters approach digital communications with much more confidence, having had no or very little concept of pre-internet life. However, it is also suggested within the report that this ‘millennium’ generation is shaping communication habits for the future, and that content, media and digital communications is becoming more and more dominant across all age groups. For instance, the research found:
- The average UK adult now spends eight hours 41 minutes per day on media and communications, slightly longer than they do sleeping (eight hours 21 minutes)
- There has been a swift rise in tablets and smartphones across all generations. More than four in 10 households (44%) now have access to a tablet, increasing from 24% a year ago
- 28% of all UK adults over 55 now own a tablet, with this often being their main method of computing
More detail on Ofcom’s research can be found via the below:
http://www.research-live.com/features/techie-teens-changing-comms-landscape/4012082.article
