The latest Deltic Night Index, released today, explores how social media habits differ between Gen Z and their Millennial counterparts and how this affects their attitudes and behaviour in the late night economy.
The research reveals that 18-21 year olds are more concerned with socialising ‘IRL’ (In Real Life): 71.6% said that going out and spending time with people in real life is more important than connecting with people on social media, compared to just 56.5% of 22-25 year olds, and 69.1% of respondents overall.
The Deltic Night Index is a quarterly report published by late night leisure leader The Deltic Group. It looks at the changing consumer habits in the UK’s evening and late-night leisure sector. This report, which surveyed more than 2,300 people, also revealed that total consumer spend on late night leisure has risen 18.8% to £70.56 year on year.
Key findings: The relationship between socialising online and ‘IRL’
> Perhaps reassuringly, for 69.1% of Brits, going out and connecting with people in real life is more important than connecting with people on social media
> A quarter (25.5%) of Brits said that the majority of their social life takes place on a night out – this was the most popular response
> However, almost the same number (23.6%) said that it takes place online / via social media. The next most popular response was the workplace (17.2%)
Much of the research suggests that it is 22-25 year olds that are more concerned with their online lives than their Gen Z counterparts – a group consistently dubbed the ‘social media generation’.
> 71.6% of 18-21 year olds said that going out and connecting with people in real life is more important than connecting with people on social media, compared to 56.5% of 22-25 year olds
> By contrast, as many as a quarter (25.2%) of 22-25 year olds said the opposite – that connecting with people on social media is more important to them than connecting with people in real life on a night out. This was compared to only 13.7% nationally and 12.5% of 18–21 year olds.
> The majority (55.2%) of 18-21 year olds think a night out is very important for bonding with friends, compared to just 39.7% of 22-25 year olds
> 52.6% of 22–25 year olds felt that a night out was very or somewhat important for sharing their experience on social media, compared to 39.3% of 18-21 year olds and just 34.6% nationally.
> 34.4% of 22-25 year olds and 33.3% of 26–30 year olds said that they post on social media every time they go on a night out, either while they are out or the next day. This is compared to 20.0% nationally and just 22.3% of 18-21 year olds.
Key findings: Core statistics
Spend and frequency
>Average spend on a night out was up 18.8% to £70.56 year on year – a 2.7% rise on last quarter. This is driven by increased spend across all categories, including pre-drinks and transport
> Just over half (55.2%) of respondents said they go on a night out at least once a week – down slightly from 56.3% last year
> However, this figure is much higher among 18-30 year olds; 73.0% said they go on a night out at least once a week
> The length of an average night out remained broadly flat at 4 hours and 32 minutes
Late night economy mix
> Though it remained the most popular option, for the first time there has been a noticeable decline in the number of respondents that cited the pub as the type of late night leisure they spend the most money on each month (23.9%, down from 28.9% last quarter and 26.3% last year)
> Similarly, we continue to see a steady rise in the number of respondents that spend the most money at the cinema each month, at 16.4%. This is up from 13.6% last year, and 14.6% last quarter
> Among 18-21 year olds clubs are the most popular option, with 28.2% saying this is the late night leisure activity they spend the most money on each month, followed by the pub (21.4%)
> For 22-25 year olds there is a more even split between clubs and bars (17.2% and 17.8%)
Peter Marks, Chief Executive of The Deltic Group, commented, “We know that young people enjoy a good night out, but this data reinforces why going out is so important to them – it provides the opportunity to bond with friends and meet new people, both of which can be difficult to do in today’s busy world.
“Importantly, it also gives us a snapshot of the role social media plays in their social life. Though there are a lot of similarities, the research suggests there are also some differences between Gen Z and Millennials when it comes to social media and the late night economy. As more Gen Z become adults, it will be increasingly important for night time operators to recognise and respond to these differences.
“It’s always good to see an increase in consumer spend, but I think what’s notable here is that there is a more even spread in terms of where Brits are spending their money – for the first time we’ve seen a notable decline in the number of respondents that said they spend it at the pub (though it remains the most popular), and we’re continuing to see an increase in spend at the cinema.
'I think this is reflective of the evolving mix available in the night time economy, with more well-invested destinations, which is only a good thing.”