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What we all expected has been confirmed - Irish online users are obsessed with social media by spending a whole working day each week on networking sites.

According to the Bacardi Together Poll, we spend eight hours per week on social media while 18-24s tweet their Bebos 11 hours every week.

Social media users are also saying goodnight online as 50% of users confess that the last thing they do at night is to check emails, text messages or social media sites and 49% undertake the same activities first thing in the morning.

Of the 1,470 adults surveyed by Behaviour & Attitudes via their Acumen panel, despite the smartphone revolution (38% of the online population own one); we still crave the joys of face-to-face connections as 76% admit that one can only have meaningful relationships in person.

When asked how they prefer to interact with others, almost 9 in 10 people strongly prefer face-to-face communication with immediate family (88%) and nearly as many with close friends (82%).  Despite their enthusiasm for social media, 18-24s also hold these views.  When it comes to organising get togethers with friends and family, social media wins as 90% of 18-24s use it for co-ordinating social events.

Social media may be helping 69% of Irish people using those channels keep up-to-date on what is happening with their friends and acquaintances, but we are not interacting with them personally or individually. 68% of Irish users think we are becoming more superficial and also a similar proportion (69%) agree that we are losing our social skills because of social media when:

• Half of Irish people (53%) believe it is okay to take or make calls, texts, emails while in the toilet, with people from Dublin (59%) being more likely than other regions

• Nearly a quarter of all social media users (23%) spend between 10-24 hours on social networks each week followed by 12% who spend over 25 hours a week

• 8% of Irish social media users feel they are at risk of social media burn-out

• 60% of the online population feel there should be a social media free day

Luke Reaper, Director of Behaviour & Attitudes said: “Human beings are social animals, with different cultures being more affiliative than others.  The Irish culture is one that craves social contact and interaction.

“What is clear from this research is that even though we are undoubtedly in the midst of a ‘connectivity revolution’, the need to still physically connect and have true ‘social’ connections pervades all demographics. Even young people still meet, talk, laugh and gossip one-to-one – just visit your local shopping centre on a Saturday.”