Almost three-quarters of Irish people feel they spend too much time on their phones, a new survey has shown, with 24 per cent resorting to measures such as screen limits to get their digital fatigue in check.<\/p>\n
Deloitte\u2019s Digital Consumer Trends 2025<\/a> survey found 21 per cent had ditched wearables, 19 per cent said they had stopped using a digital device and 17 per cent had stopped reading ebooks. <\/p>\n That was higher among younger generations, with Gen Z<\/a> at 77 per cent, millennials at 78 per cent and Gen X at 73 per cent. Only 48 per cent of boomers said they use their phone too much.<\/p>\n Most respondents said they checked their phone at least 10 times a day, with 59 per cent at 25 times, 34 per cent checking in at least 50 times and 15 per cent saying they check their device a staggering 100 times a day. <\/p>\n Despite this, 60 per cent confessed they looked at their phone within 15 minutes of waking, a reduction on the 65 per cent the previous year. But more than half are also staying awake later than they planned due to their phones. <\/p>\n Almost two-thirds have turned off notifications from one or more apps in the past year too, the survey found, and more than a quarter said they had deleted a social media app because they needed a break. Other reasons given included misinformation, a negative impact on mental health and \u201cboring\u201d content. <\/p>\n Misinformation online continues to be a problem, with 59 per cent of people saying they more regularly see fake information online. That was up from 53 per cent in 2024 and 46 per cent in 2023. <\/p>\n The concerning trend comes as Gen Z \u2013 those born between 1996 and 2007 \u2013 said they are more likely to use social media to keep up to date with news, versus the TV and radio favoured by boomers. <\/p>\n When it comes to the younger generation of smartphone users, the majority of adults who responded to the survey \u2013 58 per cent \u2013 said children should get their first smartphone between 12 and 15 years of age, with 4 per cent believing phones should not be available to under-18s. <\/p>\n