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Survey finds four-fifths of adults have pressed ‘mute’ on family, friends or work group chat

Adults in Ireland are 60% more likely to speak to their mother on the phone every day than their father, according to Pure Telecom poll

Some 38 per cent of adults surveyed had their family group chat muted, while the same proportion had silenced a group chat with friends

Ellen O’Regan
Wed Dec 13 2023 - 19:16

Four out of five adults in the State have muted at least one group chat, with chats including family and friends most likely to be silenced, according to a survey by broadband and telecoms provider Pure Telecom.

The survey of 1,004 adults in the Republic conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom found that 96 per cent of people are in at least one instant messaging group, while the average adult in Ireland is in five.

Some 38 per cent of adults surveyed had their family group chat muted, while the same proportion had silenced a group chat with friends.

Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) said they have muted their work group chat, while 16 per cent have turned off notifications for a sport or fitness group.

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Others being muted are neighbourhood groups (15 per cent), hobby groups (13 per cent), parents’ groups (13 per cent) and family groups of a spouse or partner (13 per cent).

In terms of how often people in Ireland communicate with each other, more than two thirds (67 per cent) of adults in a relationship report having a phone conversation with their partner every day, while 58 per cent communicate daily using digital communications.

The survey found that adults in Ireland are 60 per cent more likely to speak to their mother on the phone every day than their father.

Some 40 per cent of adults who can speak to their mother have phone calls with her every day, with women being far more likely to call, and 33 per cent of adults communicate digitally with their mothers every day.

A quarter of people speak to their father on the phone every day, and 23 per cent exchange daily digital communications.

Paul Connell, chief executive of Pure Telecom, said that the research shows people in Ireland are a “connected, sociable population”.

“The key with digital technologies is to find the balance that works for you and clearly the majority are finding the ‘mute’ button as one way to achieve this and get a moment’s peace,” he said.

“At Pure Telecom, we are proud to be able to connect people no matter how they choose to communicate, as and when they want,” he added.

Ellen O'Regan

Ellen O’Regan

Ellen O’Regan is an Irish Times journalist.

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