“Social rewilding” has been named the top trend of the year as more Australians choose to date in person rather than in apps, cut back the time they spend online and support social media bans for children.

More Australians are also growing impatient with experiences both online and off, and are become more distrustful of things they see and read on the internet.

The trends emerged in a study of more than 24,000 people worldwide and in excess of 1000 Australians, conducted by Accenture Song.

Its findings mirror changes proposed to social media in Australia, as the federal government and opposition plan to raise the age limit for social networks to 16 years and introduce greater responsibilities for tech firms.

Accenture’s annual study, the Life Trends Report, surveyed participants in 22 countries and asked a range of questions about their lifestyles and technology use.

Researchers identified “social rewilding” as the top trend of the year among Australians, with more people saying they wanted to disconnect from technology and enjoy “deeper, more authentic” social interactions in the real world.

One in two Australians said they were looking for dates in person rather than through apps, the survey found, one in three said they were spending more time with friends offline and one in five said they were increasingly experiencing the “joy of missing out” on technology.

The trend to look up from phone and computer screens had “been building for a while,” Accenture Song design and digital products managing director Fabio Buresti said, but the study indicated people were now acting on it.

“It’s something you hear more and more – the authenticity of relationships and human connections becoming increasingly important,” he told AAP.

“I’m not sure we’ll ever get to the point where people are completely disconnecting and going off-grid and leaving technology alone, but I think more moderation and having more tools in your life to help moderate your usage is probably going to come through more strongly (in future surveys).”

Concern over the rising use of social media emerged as a significant trend with participants worried about its impact on their lives even as they struggled to change their behaviour, Mr Buresti said.

Two in three Gen Z and Millennial participants said they were spending more time online than they wanted to and more than one in three Aussies between 18 and 24 years said social media swayed how they thought about themselves.

Combined with strong support for a social media ban extending to the age of 16, Mr Buresti said companies geared towards young audiences would have to change their approach quickly.

Other trends identified in the study included growing mistrust of online reviews, faked images and potential scams, impatience in all areas of life, online and off, and concern about the impact AI technology could have on employment.

Australia could become the first nation to introduce a minimum age of 16 for social media accounts after the government introduces its bill to parliament later this year.

 

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson
(Australian Associated Press)