Habits are shifting for a generation smitten with smartphones

By Medicine Hat News on September 2, 2017.

CNW

TORONTO

Millennials are quickly surpassing the baby boomers as the largest generation (they are already the largest population in the workforce) and weknow that smartphones and data are an important part of work and play in their day-to-day. In the age of mobile first, social norms are shifting to accommodate the ever-present cell phone and the importance that the younger generation put on it. New research from Fido finds that millennials are much more accepting of when, where and how they use their phones and it’s becoming the new normal.

They rely on their phone to maintain their social and sex lives:

— It’s all about sexting and socializing. Millennials are five times more reliant on their phone to maintain their sex life and 73 per cent said they are reliant on their phone for their social life in general (compared to 32 per cent of the older generation)

— They are twice as likely to say that most or all of their social interactions in an average day happen via their phone

They love to stream and they send four times as many instant messages in a day:

— The big screen is no longer king — 40 per cent of millennials stream video on their phone at least a few times a day and 35 per cent said the same about streaming music, compared to just seven per cent of non-millennials

— Millennials send almost four times as many instant messages compared to non-millennials in an average day.

From breaking up to being in bed with bae, the younger generation are much more liberal with when and how they use their phones:

— 28 per cent of millennials look at their phone before getting out of bed, talking to their significant other, brushing their teeth or eating vs. 11 per cent non-millennials

— More than a quarter (27 per cent) of millennials think it’s OK to be on their phone while in bed with their significant other compared to 11 per cent non-millennials

— Millennials are twice as likely to use their phone while on the toilet (69 per cent), at the dinner table (42 per cent) or in a meeting (23 per cent) compared to the older generation

— 80 per cent of millennials think it’s acceptable to ask someone out through instant message (compared to 62 per cent non-millennials) and more than twice as many millennials as non-millennials think it’s OK to break up with someone using the same method

The online survey was conducted for Fido among 510 adult Canadians ages 18-65. The survey was administered by Rogers Consumer Insights and hosted by Maru/Matchbox, in both English and French between July 20-24.

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