havas worldwide: this digital life

1

Spring 2012

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n=7,213

Extensive online survey created by Havas Worldwide and fielded by Market Probe International

Modern Life 2012

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In the past, the future represented our hopes and dreams…

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…and technology was synonymous with progress

Modern civilization depends on science…Science is the pursuit above all which impresses us with the capacity of man for intellectual and moral progress and awakens the human intellect to aspiration for a higher condition of humanity.

—Joseph Henry, U.S. Physicist,1873

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But today the idea of progress doesn’t make us dream anymore…

6 in 10 global respondents believe society is moving in the wrong direction

64% think we have grown physically lazy

59% think we have become intellectually lazy

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69% worry about our loss of connection to the natural world

52% worry that globalization is homogenizing the world, wiping it clean of its unique cultures

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…and the future is associated with anxiety and fear

7668

7670

7873

I worry about the lack of sustainable forms of energy I’m concerned about the

world’s shortage/lack of clean water

I’m concerned about the growing gap between the rich and poor

% Prosumers

% Mainstream

8

Technology has never been so vital…

I find it hard to be without my phone/mobile device

Being online improves my social life

Being online is one of the few ways I have to express myself freely

5542

55

37

5241

% Prosumers

% Mainstream

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67% of Prosumers and 53% of the mainstream depend on social networking to help them with their shopping

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…but our relationship with technology has changed

11

58

47

10

7

34

44

It will make life better

It will make life worse

It’s too soon to tell

All in all, will digital technology make life on planet Earth better or worse?

% Prosumers

% Mainstream

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3 tensions are driving an evolution in the human-technology relationship:

Share information and be visible Protect one’s personal privacy and reconnect with real life

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3 tensions are driving an evolution in the human-technology relationship:

Share information and be visible Protect one’s personal privacy and reconnect with real life

Benefit from all the modernconveniences in our daily lives

Slow down and reconnect to a more natural life

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3 tensions are driving an evolution in the human-technology relationship:

Share information and be visible Protect one’s personal privacy and reconnect with real life

Benefit from all the modernconveniences in our daily lives

Slow the pace and reconnect to a more natural life

Explain the world through math and science

Retain a world of faith and mystery

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1. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIVES/ INTIMACY IS A MIRAGE

2. MACHINE AND ORGANISM/ HYBRID IS OUR NEW NATURE

3. RATIONALITY AND MYSTERY/ IS HIGH-TECH A NEW RELIGION?

Technology blurs the lines between:

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PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIVES/

INTIMACY IS A MIRAGE

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The Internet has reversed the paradigm of communication

OfflinePrivate by default. Public through effort.

Online Public by default. Private through effort.

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Transparency is overtaking anonymity online

Image credit: Namesake.com

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We are complicit in social media’s confiscation of our personal narratives…

Facebook terms of use deny users any property rights over their personal information

94% of U.S. consumers consider online privacy important, but only 37% consistently take steps to protect it(2011 Harris Interactive Survey)

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…and yet many of us are finding it difficult to adapt to the new privacy paradigm

54 55 57 57 62 71

39 30 21 35 26 17

51 44 38

I worry that technology is robbing us of our privacy

People share too much about their personal thoughts and

experiences online; we need to go back to being more private

I have regretted posting personal information about myself online

I have regretted posting personal information about a friend or

family member online

I worry that friends or family will share personal information online about me that I don’t want to be shared

% age 1834

% age 3554

% age 55+

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Widespread worry that young people are unable to judge what is appropriate to share

I worry about the impact digital technology and social media are having on young people

Young people today have no sense of personal privacy; they’re willing to post anything and everything about their lives online

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“Right to be forgotten” law exists only in Europe and is difficult to enforce

Millennials are learning the hard way that the Internet never forgets

Image credit: hyerstandard.com

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Social media intrudes on our private lives…

33% of Americans and 40% of millennials know someone whose offline romantic relationship ended because of things they’d done online (Euro RSCG Digital Love 2012 study)

Image credit: smartrelationshipadvice.com

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…it fuels jealousy and envy…

34% of millennials say social networking makes them less satisfied with their own lives—and envious of the lives they see others leading

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…and it disrupts the public and political spheres

74% worry about society’s loss of civility/politeness

63% of Prosumers and 57% of mainstream worry we’re losing the ability to engage in civil debate and consider other points of view

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72% worry about rise of extremism (political, religious)

64% are concerned about modern society’s lack of trust and the rise of paranoia and conspiracy theories

Social media has the power to inflame passions and spread fear

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Our digital lifestyles may even be causing us to lose our human interconnectedness

68

I worry that digital communications are weakening human-to-human bonds

I worry about society’s lack of community/interconnectedness

I worry about society’s loss of face-to-face interaction

63

69

63

56

53

28

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MACHINE AND ORGANISM/ HYBRID IS OUR NEW NATURE

We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.

Marshall McLuhan

Image credit: screenrant.com

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Technology has brought phenomenal levels of convenience and access

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Multitasking has become our new way of life

Young people are packing in equivalent of nearly 11 hours of content a day by frequently multitasking (2010 Kaiser Family Foundation Study)

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We’re addicted to our digital tools

59

62

51 49 48 46

32 35

56 51

A B C D EA: I am concerned about society’s addiction to/overreliance on technologyB: I worry that digital technology/multitasking is impairing our ability to think deeply and focus on one task at a timeC: Being online distracts me too often

D: Being online interferes with my family life

E: I enjoy deliberately taking breaks from my phone/mobile devices

% Prosumers

% Mainstream

33

Is there an “off” button?

I’m concerned about society’s fast pace/being always on the go

I spend too much time working and rushing about and not enough time enjoying my life

I’m concerned about information overload

I’m concerned about technology overload

34

Adding to the angst, we’re increasingly at the mercy of algorithms for info and perspectives

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Computer algorithms anticipate our tastes and inclinations—and make our experiences unique…

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What happens to a society and to local communities when each member consumes

a wholly customized diet of news, information, entertainment, art, and music?

Can shared values and visions remain in the absence of shared experiences?

Leading us to ask…

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RATIONALITY AND MYSTICISM/

IS HIGH-TECH A NEW RELIGION?

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The term Google is searched for more than God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism combined

Are the leading technology brands our new gods?

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Like the gods of many faiths, the Internet is omnipresent and omniscient

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The Internet is infinite and immortal

Every two days now we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003.

Eric Schmidt

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Prosumers

84%Being online helps keep

me close to far away family and friends.

Mainstream

61%

90/62 82/58 80/51 75/61 91/73

The Internet helps us build community…

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A majority of respondents and 78% of Prosumers intend to use social media more and more to promote worthy causes (2010 Havas Social Business study)

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…and holds the power of retribution and punishment

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The high-tech world even has its own prophets and disciples

“Macintosh devotion, based on the sacralization of the bond between

people and computers, functions as an implicit religion. Its followers

envision a utopian future in which humans and technology work

together in harmony. Furthermore, the Mac enthusiasts adopted from both

Eastern and Western religions a social form that emphasized personal spirituality as well as communal

experience. The faith of Mac devoteesis reflected and strengthened by their efforts in promoting their computer of

choice.”

Pui-Yan Lam

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KEY TAKEWAYS FOR MARKETERS

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#1: People are seeking to reestablish boundaries between private and public, virtual and real

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Privacy management services will be in demand

48

There’s a market for social networking sites, like Pinterest, focused on interests and passions

rather than individuals and popularity

49

#2: We need tips and advice as to how to use technology properly

50

Software and applications that promote better use of the Internet

51

Opportunities to break free…

52

The Company Store celebrated its 100th anniversary with a gadget-free family night event

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#3: Consumers are weary of artificial, disposable everything

54

63 7167

52 4547 41 4040

50 5754

I’m concerned about society’s overconsumption

I think I would be happier if I owned less stuff

I have wasted lots of money on things I don’t really need

I’m tired of overconsumption; I’m looking to scale back and

live more simply

55

A new way forward % Prosumers

% Mainstream

I feel good about reducing the amount

of waste I create

Making environmentally friendly choices makes me

feel good

Most of us would be better off if we lived

more simply

56

The most valued products offer deeper satisfactions and meaning

57

Seeking to accumulate experiences, skills, and knowledge—not just more “stuff”

58

Provenance and tradition add to worth

59

Smart choices about which we can feel good

60

Seeking brand partners with a sense of purpose

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#4: People are seeking to create a hybrid existence that combines the best of old and new

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digital + natural

Hand Carved Wood Cover for iPad“Natural Dry Leaves” skin for iPhone

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modern + traditional

64

high-tech + communal

65

mindful + convenient

66

#5: Hungry for stability and certainty

67

Is personal freedom making us insecure?

64

63

58

I’m concerned about society’s loss of formality/casual

everything

53

50

48

I’m concerned about society’s loss of religious faith

79

75

67

I’m concerned about society’smoral decline

53

51

48

I’m concerned about society’s gender merge—men and

women no longer having clear roles based on gender

68

Adrift without clear rules

I worry that society has become too shallow,

focusing too much on things that don’t really matter

60 7468 65 7971

48 3344

I’m concerned about society’s loss of trusted

leaders/role models

I sometimes feel as though I’m wasting my

life

69

Seeking reassurance…

70

71

…guidance…

72

…structure…

73

…and leadership

74

For more insights from Havas Worldwide research—and to download the This Digital Life white paper—visit www.prosumer-report.com

And follow us on Twitter (@prosumer_report)

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_ 3: Stuck in Customs

_ 4: Stuck in Customs

_ 5: Stuck in Customs

_ 6: Stuck in Customs

_ 9: Stuck in Customs

_ 10: DeaPeaJay

_ 16: urbanartcorp.eu

_ 19: birgerking

_ 24: kikishua

_ 25: stripeybaz

_ 31: williamhartz

_ 36: lonelysandwich

_ 37: Stuck in Customs

_ 38: Kazamatsuri (Cult of Mac); myeyesee (magazine)

_ 39: ~Dezz~

_ 40: brionv

_ 41: choconancy1

_ 45: Kenski1970

_ 53: Michael Connell

_ 54: Polycart

_ 57: Thien Gretchen

_ 61: Stuck in Customs

_ 66: Eric Vandy

Select images courtesy of Creative Commons @flickr.com