Australians believe social media is doing more harm than good, bucking the majority support for technology in the Asia-Pacific region, Ipsos data revealed.
The market research leader released its Global Trends: Understanding Asia report designed to deep dive into the specific issues affecting the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand. The report is the largest public survey in history, with 50,000 people interviewed across 50 markets.
The report identified three key trends that are set to be critical for Australian consumers in 2025:
Technowonder
Australians overwhelmingly believe social media does more harm than good, with data showing their opinions are in stark contrast to those in Asia and across the world. More than half of Australians (54%) said social media did not have a positive impact on people’s lives – just 38% said it did. The figures are in direct opposition to the global data, which showed 54% of people agreeing that social media did have a positive impact on people’s lives, and just 38% disagreed.
In line with this, more than half of Australians (54%) believe technical progress is destroying our lives – up from 44% in 2013. The data also shows Aussies are more cynical about technology and AI development than their Asian counterparts. Across Asia, two in three people (68%) said they felt AI was having a positive impact on the world, with China most open to embracing new technology.
Retreat to old systems
Many young Australians are pining for the days of old. The report showed that more than half (52%) of Millennials are nervous about the future and would have preferred to have grown up when their parents were children. In contrast, just 26% of Baby Boomers (most likely to be the parents of Millennials) said they would have wanted to grow up at an earlier time. Overall, four in 10 Australians said they would prefer to have grown up in another era.
The data is in-line with sentiment across Asia, where more than half (57%) of Gen Z said they would have preferred to grow up at the time their parents were children. Globally, just over half (51%) said they wished they had grown up in previous decades.
Climate convergence
There is broad acceptance across Australia that we are heading for environmental disaster unless we change our habits quickly. The report showed 77% of Australians agree we need to change our ways – and the number has climbed significantly, up from 60% in 2013.
Six in 10 Australians (64%) said they were already doing all they could to save the environment, slightly down on the global average of 72% and on figures across Asia, particularly Indonesia (91%), Thailand (89%) and the Philippines (87%).
Like most of the world, Australians are calling on companies to do more for the environment. Seven in 10 Australians (73%) believe big businesses are not paying enough attention to the environment – on par with the overall APAC average (73%).
‘It is important to understand how Australians are thinking’
“Like many countries globally, Australia is on the precipice of change, particularly as technological evolution and climate change occurs at a rapid pace,” Simon Wake, Ipsos Australia CEO, said.
“Now more than ever, it is important to understand how Australians are thinking and the issues that are likely to preoccupy water cooler conversation in the coming years. The insights reveal a region that is wary of technology, particularly social media, and is cynical about new technology and its impact on mental and emotional health.
“When it comes to climate change, Australians are more concerned than ever about the state of the environment. Like many of their global counterparts, they believe businesses have a critical role to play in minimising harmful environmental effects.”