Who Are the Young Adults in Portugal? Daily Usage of Social Media and Mobile Phones, in a No-Kids and No-Independent Housing Context—Results from a Representative Online Survey

Abstract

Better theories and practices are constructed through a deep understanding of the subjects involved. In Portugal, young adults aged 18 to 30 are a group sometimes left out because the Portuguese official statistical data does not treat this as an age category by itself, dividing it either into young people or the general idea of adults. Through a social constructivist quantitative approach, this article seeks to construct a profile of young adulthood in Portugal, both in socio-demographic terms and in terms of their relationship with media. An online survey was conducted on a representative sample of young Portuguese adults (18–30 years), guaranteeing a margin of error of ±2.53% at the 95% confidence level. Results reveal that 83.5% of young adults identify themselves as heterosexual, and 83.5% do not have children. The average age of respondents with children is 26 years old. Most young adults (63.5%) live with their parents or other adult relatives, and the vast majority (82.2%) of these parents or relatives with whom they live are employed and have primary or secondary education. Mobile phones (92.8%), laptop computers (84.1%), and TV with a box (78.5%) are the primary media to which the young people in the sample have access. The mobile phone stands out in particular, as 90.2% of those inquired revealed that they use it every day. Social media are identified as the most frequently consumed type of media content (81.1% every day). These findings strengthen the idea of the centrality of the mobile phone in daily lives, especially among young adults, as well as social media platforms. This research helps to understand that the young adult profile in Portugal presents themselves as heterosexual, has no children, lives with parents or other adult relatives, and uses a mobile phone daily, despite having other media available for its use.

Beyond Words: Tapping the Potential of Digital Diaries While Exploring Young Adults’ Experiences on Apps

“…These themes emerged from using the digital diary method, which is both the methodology and the object of study in this paper. Following the MyGender project, the naturalized integration of mobile applications into daily routines is a remarkable finding, thus reinforcing the results of studies developed within the project [37][38][39]43] that established the central role of digital technologies, particularly smartphones and social media platforms, in Portugal young adults' lives. The diaries capture routine activities interconnected with the use of apps.…”

“…With this methodology, we intended to collect qualitative data regarding the participants' thoughts and beliefs on their forms of interaction with mobile apps, specifically regarding the (re)negotiation of gender and sexual identities, but also their experiences and thoughts relating to the intrusion of technology and its presence in everyday life. Namely, we intended to identify daily digital practices and accounts of casual occurrences that go hand in hand with the use of mobile applications and digital platforms of young adults in [country], as mobile phones and digital platforms have proved to play a central role in those young adults' lives [37], where their gender and sexual identities have been performed and expressed [38] although restricted and constrained to platforms' affordances [39].…”

“…Other studies have reinforced the idea that "quality of care" is a woman's task, including that of young adults [43,44]. Source: [37].…”

“…Considering that one of the main interests of the diary entries in this research was to understand how young adults interact with, appropriate, and incorporate mobile applications into their daily lives, it comes as no surprise that the most frequent topic in their diaries was "Apps in everyday life". Mobile apps have seamlessly integrated into the daily routines ofPortugal's young adults, becoming indispensable tools that shape various aspects of their lives, as other studies, like [37], have suggested. This integration is not merely functional, but influences several aspects of their identity, namely, how they communicate and how they go about their everyday routines.…”