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It appears email is an old fashioned and seldom-used communications tool for Irish secondary school students and college goers.A new survey of 164 Irish students in secondary school and at third level, carried out by Blue Coat on behalf of Data Solutions, an Irish IT distributor, found that 75% of Irish students use Facebook as their main channel for communicating online with only 6% preferring to use email.
88% of respondents said they have a Facebook account, 30% use Twitter and 20% have a Bebo account. Only one student said they have a LinkedIn account.
When asked about their future work environments, the survey also examined the student’s attitudes to technology and the use of personal devices in the work place. Over 60% expect their employers to allow them to use their own personal devices, such as laptops and smartphones, for work purposes. As one said, “You already know how your own devices work, it saves time being able to use your own as you don’t have to learn how to use new technology.”
“Organisations can’t assume that social networking isn’t already being used on their network and if they attempt to ban it or block it altogether, their employees will use it from their phones which still affects productivity. It is therefore, better to embrace this new trend and put policies in place to ensure it is being used in an appropriate and responsible manner rather than blocked and ignored,” says Nigel Hawthorn, VP EMEA marketing, Blue Coat Systems.
Michael O’Hara, managing director, Data Solutions said: “Every business is going to have to learn to accommodate this trend, of workers using their own devices in the workplace, while ensuring security.”
