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Voxburner Internet of Things

87% of 16-24 year olds concerned about data security, and only 6% understand the Internet of Things

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By Ishbel Macleod | PR and social media consultant

April 17, 2014 | 2 min read

Two thirds (67 per cent) of 16-24s say that security is their number one priority when buying an internet-connected product, while over a third of say the risks associated with new technology such as the Internet of Things do not outweigh the benefits.

Voxburner asked 1,244 UK 16-24 year olds their views on new and future technologies, and found that 87 per cent are concerned about the security of the data that they share.

Before being told, only six per cent understood that the Internet of Things (IoT) was, but after given a full description, 80 per cent of young consumers said the concept sounds interesting to them, with 75 per cent feeling excited although 16 per cent feel scared and nine per cent say they feel threatened.

The biggest impact of the IoT would be to help respondents research products whilst shopping and save money, 60 per cent said, while 55 per cent say it would have an impact in the home, for controlling things on the move. Personal improvement like tracking fitness or better productivity (55 per cent) and social connectivity to stay better connected and closer to friends and family (46 per cent) are other reasons cited.

Luke Mitchell, head of insights at Voxburner, said: “The three biggest ways the Internet of Things can help young people are adamantly argued by our respondents: time-saving, added life value and money-saving. These are themes that resonate across all areas of their lives - they want value, convenience and fun. Despite having a higher than average stake in technology and a strong interest in what the Internet of Things can bring, there are concerns too. We’re seeing young people becoming more worried about their data and control of personal information. Respondents can see that the Internet of Things potentially means more of their life is exposed digitally.”

Last Wednesday, 9 April, was Global Internet of Things day.

Voxburner Internet of Things

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