Ci Research is pleased to reveal some initial findings of a survey recently conducted on behalf of several regional marketing agencies to gauge the impact of the World Cup on young people aged between 17 and 26.

We interviewed 500 young people from across the UK during the final days of the tournament and found the following:

Positive impact on social media usage

• 22% used social networking sites more than usual.
• 27% increased the frequency with which they used the internet.
• 23% sent more text messages.

Negative impact on healthy lifestyles

• Almost 1 in 3 (28%) have drunk more alcohol than they normally would since the World Cup started.
• Approximately 1 in 10 have smoked more.
• 15% have not slept as well.
• 19% have eaten less healthily.
• 17% have exercised less.

Positive impact on spending levels

The survey has also revealed a significant increase in the level of spending amongst young people in the UK during the four-week tournament. In addition to increased spending on alcohol and SMS-messaging:

• 27% claim to have spent more during the World Cup.
• 31% had more barbecues.
• Around 1 in 7 (14%) have gambled more since the start of the World Cup.

Colin Auton, Ci Research director, commented: "We can safely say that the World Cup has had a big impact on the frequency with which young people have used social media channels. The level of online information available about this World Cup has been unprecedented and the young people we consulted with represent the most prolific users of social media. They’ve shared opinions on websites like Twitter and Facebook, watched live match feeds online and debated the tournament on online forums.”

“However our survey has also indicated that the sleeping, eating and exercise habits of young people have suffered to varying degrees during the World Cup. People have sacrificed more healthy routines to accommodate the tournament, which means watching it, discussing it, and of course socialising and organising parties to coincide with games.”

For more information on the survey, or to enquire about receiving a report of the main findings, please contact Anthony Shephard or Richard Walker on +44 (0)1625 628000.