16th March 2022

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Teenage kicks: Young Brits prepare to ditch social media for the metaverse

·         Nearly a fifth (18%) of 16–24-year-olds are already making new friends in the metaverse

·         This rises to nearly half (46%) who are considering using the metaverse to make friends in the future

·         Over a quarter (29%) of young brits believe that the metaverse will improve their confidence

 

15 March 2022, UK:  With Facebook reporting that it lost half a million global daily users in its latest quarterly earnings reports, and news that teenage users have already declined by 13% since 2019 and projected to drop by 45% over the next two years, the question is where are they going?

Brand new research from Zen Internet reveals that Facebook’s strategy to embrace the metaverse, could be about to pay off; with nearly a fifth (18%) of 16–24-year-olds already making new friends in the metaverse. In fact, this rises to a whopping 46% who are considering using the metaverse to make friends in the future.

Metaverse becomes mainstream for young Brits

Recent Gartner research shows that a quarter (25%) of people will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026. In fact, Zen found over one in five (22%) are intrigued by the metaverse and intend to learn more about it this year, rising to 30% for those surveyed aged 35-44, with over a third (37%) believing the metaverse will become mainstream by 2030.

Interestingly, one in ten (11%) have already created their own metaverse avatar. Its positive that the metaverse is also set to help young adults navigate social challenges. Over a quarter (29%) of 16–24-year-olds believe that the metaverse will improve their confidence.

Over a third (36%) of young brits are gearing up to date new partners in the metaverse, whilst almost two in five (38%) are interested in speed dating in the metaverse. However, metaverse fans may have to re-think their internet reliability as poor-quality broadband can negatively impact online interactions. Nearly a quarter (23%) think losing connection is the equivalent of getting the ick in real-life.

Jawad Ashraf, CEO, Terra Virtua, said: “The metaverse will provide an entirely new way to interact with virtual environments and others, in a more immersive and interactive way than previously possible. Zen Internet’s research highlights how important virtual interactions will be to the younger generation’s identity. It may be too early to predict exactly what the metaverse will become, but we do know it will open up completely new shopping, work, entertainment and social experiences.”

Paul Stobart, CEO at Zen Internet, said: “As our independently commissioned research demonstrates, there are many young adults who are curious to explore the metaverse to make new connections. And in that metaverse, as more and more people consider communicating more in this way, internet connectivity needs to be fast and reliable.”

-ENDS-

About the research:

The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 2,002 nationally representative UK respondents (Aged 16+), between 02.02.2022 and 04.02.2022. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

About Zen

Zen Internet is the largest B Corporation certified telecommunications and network connectivity provider in the UK. Zen provides a full range of broadband, data, voice, hosting and infrastructure services to homes and businesses across the country.  The company also delivers complex network and cloud solutions for a wide range of large businesses and corporate customers through its strategic partnerships with AWS and Cisco.

As the only Which? recommended provider for broadband 2021, Zen is renowned for delivering excellent customer service and technical support and has been awarded Best Broadband ISP in PC Pro’s Technology Excellence Awards for 18 consecutive years. Other accolades include Sustainability Winner in Comms National Awards 2021 and Highly Commended in CRN Tech Impact Awards as Sustainable Vendor of the Year.

As a proud member of the B Corp community – balancing profit with people and the planet – Zen is carbon neutral and is working towards achieving Net Zero status by 2028. The company is also a recommended Best Buy in Ethical Consumer’s latest guide to broadband.

Zen has offices in Rochdale and Leeds and employs more than 500 people. The organisation puts great emphasis on maintaining a people-centric business and was named a Great Place to Work® in November 2021.

About Terra Virtua:

Launched in 2017, Terra Virtua is a digital collectibles platform built on sustainable blockchain technology. Which offers immersive collectible, gaming and social experiences, through NFTs, and provides a gateway to the metaverse.