One in three Irish people, and half of young adults, say they could not live without Wi-Fi, according to a survey carried out by BT Ireland.
The study was carried out as part of the launch of the 56th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.
There were 1,200 people aged between 12 and 55 from across Ireland who took part in the survey.
They were asked various questions about their uses for modern technology, and where they would like to see trends move in the future.
Nearly a third of 12-24 year olds want to see science and technology create ways to tackle major social and climate issues.
The elder group surveyed (aged 25-59 year olds) were more interested in seeing science and technology make positive changes in artificial intelligence within transport.
Unsurprisingly, it was young people who felt most connected to advancements in technology, with nearly a third of those aged 12-24 considering themselves “very well informed” on the latest developments, compared to just 28% of the total number of people surveyed.
Wi-Fi was named as the most relied upon piece of technology, mobile phones were second, and online services such as banking, data storage and shopping apps were the third most popular.
BT Ireland were celebrating their 20th year as the exhibition’s chief sponsors and organisers.
Shay Walsh, managing director, BT Ireland said, “For 56 years, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has been the official national celebration of science and technology at school level, and to have been involved in this journey of discovery for the last 20 years has been an honour for BT. We feel fortunate to have supported thousands of young people to realise their potential and are so proud of the success achieved by so many of our valued alumni. BTYSTE2020 is going to be a very special Exhibition so I would encourage every school to get involved and start planning their projects today. What they create today will shape the world we live in tomorrow, and that’s a very exciting prospect.”
The 56th Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place from 8-11th January 2020 and students are being encouraged to begin work on their projects now.
Written by Andrew Moore