This chapter focusses on how frequently Irish people use the internet, and for those who are recent users (used the internet in the previous three months), the extent to which they go online every day or almost every day, and if less frequent users, their broad frequency of usage.
Note that internet use not only includes internet browsing or buying of goods or services online or online education, it also includes all activities that require the internet, such as email, instant messaging, use of WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, internet banking, etc.
What this chapter will highlight is the very high use of the internet in Ireland, with younger adults in particular online at least several times a day.
Key findings of broad frequency of use:
Key findings of detailed frequency of use:
The majority of internet users (95%) had used the internet every day or almost every day, an increase of one percentage point from when the survey was last carried out in 2023. All younger internet users surveyed aged 16 to 29 years had gone online daily or almost daily in the previous 3 months. Almost all internet users aged 30 to 44 years had gone online daily or almost every day (98%), while 96% of persons aged 45-59 years used the internet daily. This compared with only 75% of older internet users aged 75 years and over.
The vast majority of households with dependent children had used the internet daily or almost daily - 99% of households of one adult with children, and 98% of households of two or more adults with children, had gone online daily or almost daily, compared with 91% of internet users living in single occupancy households, and 92% of internet users living in households of two adults with no children.
Almost all (97%) internet users whose principal economic status was at work went online every day or almost every day. This compares with over eight in ten (82%) persons whose principal economic status was retired. All students were online at some point during their day.
The frequency of internet usage increases as the affluence of the geographical area where the person resides increases. Almost all (98%) those living in very affluent areas used the internet within the previous three months, and of these, nearly all (97%) went online daily. By comparison, just 90% of persons living in very disadvantaged areas were recent internet users (within previous three months) and of these, 94% used the internet daily. See Figure 2.2 and Table 2.2.
Key findings of frequency of daily use:
Internet users aged 16 to 29 years used the internet most frequently throughout the day. Almost all (97%) used the internet at least several times a day - 18% used the internet all the time, while a further four in ten (40%) accessed the internet nearly all the time, and 39% accessed it several times a day.
Internet use throughout the day was also high in the 30 to 44 years age category. Almost one in five (19%) daily internet users aged 30 to 44 years, used the internet all the time, while a quarter (25%) of daily internet users in this age group used the internet nearly all the time, and a further 46% used the internet several times a day.
Half (50%) of daily internet users aged 60 years and over, used the internet several times a day. See Figure 2.3 and Table 2.3.
Key findings of internet users:
All students aged 16 years and over used the internet every day or almost every day. Of these, almost all (99%) went online at least several times a day. Just 1% had used the internet briefly during the day.
Of daily internet users surveyed whose principal economic status was at work, nearly one in seven (15%) used it all the time, over one quarter (27%) were online nearly all the time, while more than four in ten (46%) used the internet several times a day.
Over eight in ten (82%) retired persons who used the internet in the last three months, used it every day or almost every day. Of these daily internet users, nearly one in ten (9%) used the internet nearly all the time, while 3% used the internet all the time. See Tables 2.2 & 2.3.
While the number of older persons aged 75 years and over going online has remained unchanged from 2023 (54%), their frequency of usage has increased. Of those who were recent users of the internet (in the previous 3 months), three quarters (75%) had gone online daily or almost daily, of which half (50%) used it several times a day, an increase of two percentage points on the same period in 2023, while a further 38% used the internet briefly one or two times a day (41% in 2023).
One in eleven (9%) used it nearly all the time, as in 2023, while 3% said that they used the internet all the time, up one percentage point from 2023. See Figure 2.3 and Tables 2.2 & 2.3.
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