36% of Italians spend more time on social networks than interacting with friends and communities

42% of Italian households express concern about the time spent online by family members, with a growing interest in 'digital detox'. An even higher percentage (44%) often think about the negative impact that being online has on their overall well-being. This is what emerges from the latest edition of the EY Decoding the Digital Home Study, an analysis conducted on a sample of 1,000 households in Italy and 20,000 globally, which delves into significant trends in consumer behaviour regarding connectivity, digitisation and the smart home.
Giuseppe Donatelli, Italy TMT Leader at EY comments: "Digital overexposure in everyday life is increasingly evident, 36% of people spend more time on social networks than interacting with friends and communities, highlighting a change in social dynamics that deserves attention. Our analysis also shows a growing awareness of the risks associated with hyper-connectedness, and consumer concerns about the amount of time spent online are evident. Four out of ten households are concerned about the amount of time family members spend online, in fact, more than 40 per cent of Italian consumers are seeking digital detoxification by limiting the amount of time they use smartphones or other connected devices. A clear signal of the need to find a balance between digital and real life, recognising the importance of one's psycho-physical well-being"..

Network performance and tariff transparency are the main factors influencing the choice of broadband packages. 49% of households regard guaranteed connection speed as the most important criterion for choice, followed by clarity of tariffs (47%). However, a quarter of households regularly experience an unreliable fixed-line internet connection, with 26% experiencing an unstable connection often or very often, a 3pp improvement on last year and in line with the global average. Mobile data signal quality within the home is also problematic, with one third of households reporting connection problems. In the last twelve months, 16% of Italian households have switched internet provider, however, more than one in three consider switching operator to be a difficult process, reporting inertia and lack of time to proceed with the change. A third of Italian households (35%) are considering replacing fixed-line broadband with mobile connectivity, with price savings as the main motivation (44%).

With regard to streaming platforms, monthly fees and access to specific content are the main drivers of choice, with 64% of households rating cost as a determining factor. Original or exclusive content is particularly appreciated in Italy (36% compared to 25% of the global average). Streaming platforms are cited mainly for watching films (45%) and TV series (33%), where they are the leader compared to other types of platforms, while for news, traditional TV remains in first place (56%). However, half of streamers think they pay too much for content they do not see and that service providers could do a better job with content recommendations. In addition, many consumers feel overwhelmed by the choice and breadth of offer, with 53% of households believing there is too much choice of streaming platforms. The streaming market is very fluid, as the boom in household content consumption linked to the COVID-19 pandemic has given way to spending constraints due to inflation, with 30% of Italian households cancelling or planning to cancel at least one streaming subscription service, while 31% have re-subscribed to previously cancelled services.

Despite the interest in the smart home, device penetration remains low. Smart TV is the most popular device (69%), followed by video game consoles (23%) and voice-controlled digital home assistants (23%). The most promising adoption forecast over the next five years concerns smart utilities, such as security, lighting and heating. Barriers to adoption persist, including poor value perception, convenience and security concerns. 50% of Italians are concerned about the possibility of hackers gaining access to internet-connected appliances and devices. In general, data security is a growing concern for Italian consumers. 51% of households feel it is impossible to keep their personal data safe online, and only 42% feel they have control over their data. However, 32% of young people are open to exchanging data in exchange for personalised services. Artificial intelligence may impact consumer trust in online content, with older groups most concerned. Fifty-six per cent of households are concerned that artificial intelligence could affect the trustworthiness of content, with an even higher percentage (62%) fearing the role that 'malicious actors' could play in exploiting AI to create artefactual or dangerous content. More than half of households (53%) also believe that governments and authorities should do more to mitigate the potential risks of AI misuse.

Italian households are showing signs of wanting to reduce service levels to save money, with 29% willing to switch to a cheaper internet subscription and 44% interested in streaming subscriptions with ad breaks. However, there is also growing interest in premium services, with 41% of households willing to pay more for a single platform that aggregates TV, video and content, and 37% willing to pay extra for an unlimited mobile plan. Consumers also perceive streaming platforms as part of the bundle landscape, highlighting the importance of partnerships between telecom companies and streaming platforms. Overall, 40% of Italian households agree that the cost of living crisis increases the need for connectivity and content services from a single provider. Cost savings, the convenience of receiving a single bill and access to a single point of contact for customer service are all perceived benefits by around one in six Italian households.