Facebook costing 16-34s jobs in tough economic climate One in ten young people have been rejected for a job because of their social media profile We have just finished the third wave of our young people’s consumer confidence (YPCC) index, which is designed to help businesses understand what young people (16-34) think about their current and future economic and employment prospects, in both developed and growth markets. The index covers 6000 16-34 year olds across six countries and revealed some surprising results. Impact of social media on careers If getting a job wasn’t hard enough in this tough economic climate the survey revealed that one in ten young people have been rejected for a job because of their social media profile. Yet worryingly the majority (two-thirds) are not concerned that their use of social media now may harm their future career prospects and are not deterred from using it. They are also more likely to have altered their social media profile to look good to their friends, as opposed to prospective employers. Better education of the impact of social media is needed, to ensure young people are not making it even harder for themselves to get on the career ladder. Consumer confidence At the top line level consumer confidence levels amongst young people in growth markets are twice as high as the UK and US. Young Chinese and Nigerian consumers have the overall highest confidence levels, indexing at 39, followed closely by Brazil (37) then India (37). In comparison, Britons index at just 16 and the US at 19. Future employment Confidence in growth markets is fuelled by optimism about their future employment prospects, with 88% firmly believing they will get a better education than their parent’s vs their counterparts in developed markets (64%). They are also more confident about earning a higher salary (89%) where as young people in developed markets are less certain (60%).

1. Young People’s Consumer Confidence Index
Growth & Developed Markets
May 2013

2. Summary
Young people’s consumer confidence
• Young people in growth markets are at least twice as confident, compared to those in developed markets. Although
someway behind their counterparts across the world, young people in the US & UK are showing signs of increased
confidence.
• Confidence in growth markets is being fuelled by a positiveness about their future, they are especially confident about
their future employment prospects (66 v 33).
• They firmly believe they will get a better education than their parents (88%) vs their counterparts in developed markets
(64%). They also believe they will earn a better salary than their parents (89%) where as young people in developed
markets are less confident (60%).
Social media impact
• If getting a job wasn’t hard enough in this tough economic climate, one in ten young people have been rejected from a
job because of their social media profile.
• Yet worryingly the majority (two-thirds) are not concerned that their use of social media now, may harm their future
career prospects and are not deterred from using it.
• They are also more likely to have altered their social media profile to look good to their friends, as opposed to
prospective employers. Better education of the impact of social media is needed, to ensure young people are not
making it even harder for themselves to get on the career ladder.

3. Generation jobless - around the world almost 300m 15 to 24s are not
working or studying, which is almost a quarter of the planet’s youth!
Source: Economist April 2013
Young people have long had a raw deal in the
labour market. Firstly the financial crisis and its
aftermath had an unusually big effect on them.
Secondly, the emerging economies with the
largest and fastest-growing populations of young
people also have the worst-run labour markets.
It is hard to be optimistic about a problem that is
blighting the lives of so many, however it is
perhaps time to be a bit less pessimistic.
Policymakers know what they need to do to ignite
growth e.g build bridges between education and
work. Countries that make investments to tackle
unemployment head on, have the ability to make
dramatic improvements.

4. Young People’s Consumer Confidence Index (YPCC)
Why carry out an index? By collecting data from key markets we can help businesses
understand what young people (16-34s) around the world think about their current and future
economic prospects, and data can be trended over time. It also gives businesses looking to
develop in growth markets, a good indication of the current and future health of the economy.
Index Score is calculated using the mean scores of six key questions:
1. How do you expect your employment situation/prospects to change over the next 12 months?
2. How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to change over the next 12 months?
3. How are you feeling about your current employment situation/prospects?
4. In view of the economy, is now the right time to buy big purchases?
5. How are you feeling about your current personal/household financial situation?
6. Overall how are you feeling about the economy?
Results are repeated every quarter, sign up to our newsletter for future releases.
Interested in carrying out your own mobile research?
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5. Methodology
• 6000 mobile users (aged 16-34) completed
a survey via the mobile Internet – sample
matched to gender and regional quotas.
• Additional questions were asked from a
larger sample size of 17, 657 (aged 16-34)
about social media.
• Study covers China, India, Nigeria, Brazil &
the UK and US.
• Data is trended to compare the results from
the Aug 2012 index study.
The discrepancy between mobile and desktop Internet penetration means
mobile is the only way to research a growth market

6. Young people in growth markets are at least 2x as confident,
compared to those in developed markets. However young people in
the US & UK are showing signs of increased confidence.
38 39
32
37
10
16
37 39 37 39
16 19
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Brazil China India Nigeria UK US
YPCC Index Score
Aug-12 May-13
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US,UK
n = 12,000 , Age 16-34 , Aug 2012 - May 2013
Index score is calculated using the mean score of six key questions

7. What’s driving this confidence?

8. 19
8
73
35
57
74
0 20 40 60 80
How do you expect the general economic
situation in this country to change over
the next 12 months?
Brazil China India Nigeria UK US
Mean sore
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 6000 Age 16-34
May 2013
Young people in developed markets have a very positive outlook for future economic
growth in their country and this impacts their confidence scores. Young Britons are 8x less
confident than growth markets (8 vs. 60) about how the general economic situation will
change in the UK in next year.
Get a lot betterGet a lot worse

9. When asked about their future employment prospects, young people in growth markets
are also significantly more confident (66 v 33). On a positive note young people in the UK
are 7x more confident about their future employment situation than 9 months ago (4 vs.
27) but they are still some way behind their counterparts across the world.
38 (+28)
27 (+23)
78 (+10)
46 (+10)
61 (+8)
79 (+7*)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
How do you expect your employment
situation/prospects to change over the
next 12 months?
How do you expect your employment
situation/prospects to change over the
next 12 months?
Brazil China India Nigeria UK US
Mean sore
May 2013
Aug 2012
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 6000 Age 16-34
May 2013*difference in mean score vs Aug 2012
Get a lot betterGet a lot worse

10. On average 88% of young people in developing countries firmly believe
they will get a higher education qualification than their parents, those in
developed markets are less sure scoring 24ppts lower at 64%.
63% 89%65% 85%96%80%
Do you expect to get a higher education qualification
than your parents?
YES
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 17657 Age 16-34
May 2013

11. YES
56% (UK)
65% (US)
96% (Nigeria)
78% (India)
91% (Brazil)
91% (China)
NO
21% (UK)
17% (US)
2% (Nigeria)
9% (India)
4% (Brazil)
6% (China)
Do you expect to get a better paid job than your parents?
Young people in developing countries believe they have better career prospects
than previous generations & are nearly a third more confident about getting a
better paid job than their parents vs young people in the UK &US (89% vs 60%).

12. Young people in growth markets also expect that it’s more likely they
will need to relocate to get a job.
Do you expect that you will need to relocate to get a job?
YES
35% 37%37% 45%69%52%
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 17657 Age 16-34
May 2013

13. Social media impact on young people’s careers

14. Have you ever been rejected for a job because of comments or pictures on your
online/social media profile?
YES
9%
6%
8%
7%
8%
5%
10%
7%
4%
5%
16%
14%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
16-24 25-34
UK US Nigeria India Brazil China
One in ten young people have been rejected for a job because of
their social media profile, this figure is higher in China.
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 20225 Age 16-34
May 2013

15. Yet the majority, nearly two thirds are not concerned that their use of social
media now, may harm their future career prospects. Young people in growth
markets are slightly more concerned about the impact of social media.
71% 70%
63% 63% 63%
49%
UK US China India Nigeria Brazil
% of 16-34s who said no
Are you concerned that your use of social media now, may harm
your future career prospects?
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 17657 Age 16-34
May 2013

16. It also does not deter the 16-34 age group from using social
media, even though it may harm their future career.
68% 66%
61% 60%
77%
58%
17% 17% 19% 20%
11%
29%
UK US China India Brazil Nigeria
No Yes
Does the possibility of social media impacting your future career,
deter you from using it?
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 17657 Age 16-34
May 2013

17. Have altered online/social media presence
17% 27%18% 47%54%32%
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 17657 Age 16-34
May 2013
To look
good to
friends
16% 15%19% 38%41%26%
To look
good to
prospective
employers
16-34s are more likely to have altered their social media presence
to look good to their friends, rather then prospective employers.

18. 72% 40% 40% 11% 5% 8%
69% 41% 32% 11% 12% 6%
82% 38% 30% 19% 4% 5%
85% 9% 24% 4% 1% 4%
73% 6% 4% 1% 0% 1%
They own a mixture of social media accounts but predominantly
Facebook is the most popular platform.
Own
website
Source: On Device Research YPCC
Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, US, UK
n = 17657 Age 16-34
May 2013

19. YES
9% (UK)
9% (US)
19% (India)
23% (Brazil)
27% (China)
YES
11% (UK)
11% (US)
14% (India)
25% (Brazil)
27% (China)
Would you pay to use
social media?
Would you pay to have your social
media profile enhanced? e.g connect
with a celebrity
However popular social media is, the majority would not pay to
use it or to connect with celebrities.

20. Summary
Young people’s consumer confidence
• Young people in growth markets are at least twice as confident, compared to those in developed markets. Although
someway behind their counterparts across the world, young people in the US & UK are showing signs of increased
confidence.
• Confidence in growth markets is being fuelled by a positiveness about their future, they are especially confident about
their future employment prospects (66 v 33).
• They firmly believe they will get a better education than their parents (88%) vs their counterparts in developed markets
(64%). They also believe they will earn a better salary than their parents (89%) where as young people in developed
markets are less confident (60%).
Social media impact
• If getting a job wasn’t hard enough in this tough economic climate, one in ten young people have been rejected from a
job because of their social media profile.
• Yet worryingly the majority (two-thirds) are not concerned that their use of social media now, may harm their future
career prospects and are not deterred from using it.
• They are also more likely to have altered their social media profile to look good to their friends, as opposed to
prospective employers. Better education of the impact of social media is needed, to ensure young people are not
making it even harder for themselves to get on the career ladder.

21. Sarah Quinn
sarah@ondeviceresearch.com
+44 (0)207 278 6627
www.ondeviceresearch.com
@ondevice
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22. Sign up to our newsletter to receive the next wave of YPCC data &
analysis. Interested in carrying out your own mobile research?
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