By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent
Young people have twice as many sexual partners, change jobs more often and move house with far more frequency than their parents did, according to a new study.
Research commissioned by Samsung Galaxy S6 edge to mark the launch of the S6 switch kit, compared and contrasted behavioural differences between under-25s and over-50s. The survey of 2,000 respondents reveals a younger generation who are unafraid of change and who fully expect to ‘switch and swipe’ their way through life.
When it comes to relationships, the average 25-year-old now has 10 sexual partners before settling down – a 50 per cent increase on their parents’ generation. Two-fifths of the over-50s married their first sexual partner (43 per cent), compared to just one in five of under-25s.
One in seven of the younger respondents will have 20 or more partners before marriage, compared to just three per cent of their older counterparts. They also expect to have been in six long term relationships, compared with their parents who had an average of four significant relationships pre-marriage.
When it comes to property, 78 per cent of over-50s own the home they live in, compared to just nine per cent of those aged 25 – and over 40 per cent of the younger generation are still living at home with their parents. Under-25s expect to move home 14 times over the course of their lifetime, compared to just six moves for their older counterparts. They are also more likely to switch jobs, with one in five expecting to change employer 10 times or more throughout their working lives compared with 13 per cent of those aged over 50.
Further findings suggest that the younger generation feel less rooted to their home towns and are far more likely to be open to a move abroad (68 per cent) than the older generation (31 per cent). They are also much likelier to travel abroad with the average under-25 expecting to visit at least 16 different countries during their lifetime, compared with the over 50s who have only visited 10.
The findings reveal that although we may have a society which places high value on adding “friends” to our online social networks, there are likely to be fewer lifelong bonds for those growing up today. Younger respondents have an average of 113 friends, compared with those aged over 50 who are likely to have a more manageable 33 chums. Over one in 20 of the younger respondents have more than 500 friends, compared to just one per cent of the older generation.
Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organizational Psychology & Health at Manchester Business School, University of Manchester and President of RELATE said: “This study shows the sheer speed of social evolution as within just one generation we have moved from stick to switch. For today’s twenty-somethings, it is goodbye job for life, marrying your teenage sweetheart and putting down roots in your own bought home, and hello portfolio career, tinder-style dating and generation swipe.
“The younger generation are switching friends, partners, jobs and even homes in search of ‘the one’ – and this is likely to filter down to their purchasing decisions too with savvy switchers making sure they get the very best deals on everything from mortgages to mobile phones.”
The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge study was commissioned to let people know that it’s easier than ever to switch your mobile device to the new Samsung S6 edge. Difficulties traditionally associated with transferring content, contacts and information will become a thing of the past. Customers looking to swap to a Samsung device will be offered a variety of options to help them make the switch. This may include the Samsung Smart Switch app or the Samsung switch kit. Customers making the switch will also benefit from a Google Play Music offer with unlimited music, free for six months.
Conor Pierce, Vice President of IT & Mobile, Samsung UK & Ireland, said: “It’s clear from these results that people today expect to switch and swipe their way through life. The experiences of a younger generation will be markedly different to that of their parents and this new digital generation are unafraid of change.
“The findings of this study reinforce that people want to be able to switch, that’s why at Samsung we’re now providing all S6 and S6 edge consumers with easy switching options, so consumers can easily transfer content from their old phone to their brand new S6 or S6 edge.”
