62% of residents use a laptop to go online, compared to 45% that use a tablet, and 41% that rely on a PC.
While older generations (aged 65 to 74) are more likely to use a PC or tablet (52%) than younger generations, they still primarily use smartphones (73%) to access the internet.
In comparison, smartphones are clearly preferred by 16- to 24-year-olds (97%). 63% access the internet using a laptop.
The amount of time spent on phones varies with age.
A quarter of residents aged 16 to 24 spent more than five hours every day on their smartphones. Only 8% of participants aged 25 to 54 said they use a smartphone for several hours every day. 57% of those over the age of 65 use their mobile phones for less than an hour every day.
It is also worth noting that the majority of young people receive their first smartphone at the average age of 12 (and 8% receive it between 8 and 9 years old).
Most 16– to 24-year-olds (85%) are also avid users of social networks, such as Facebook, twitter, and Instagram. Only 38% of 65- to 74-year-olds stated that they use social media.
89% of 16– to 24-year-olds use messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Snapchat. In this category, the difference to the elders is less pronounced, as 70% of 65- to 74-year-olds also stated that they use apps like these to send and receive messages. 90% of young people like to listen to music on their phones, compared to 31% of senior residents. When it comes to video platforms such as YouTube or TikTok, younger residents (84%) use them far more than older generations (27%).
It should also be noted that mobile phones have become increasingly disposable: 87% of users do not keep them for more than five years, and 43% replace them within three years.
