(ANSA) - Rome, May 25 - Three quarters of Italy's 11.2 million "millenials" - young people born between the 1980s and the 2000s - are connected to the Internet, a study revealed Monday.
Research by the polling company Nielsen and commissioned by Yahoo! found that 76% of young adults 18-34 are on the Web, and that the primary vehicle for Internet access is the mobile device.
The Internet generation spends an average of 161 minutes per day on smartphones.
Social networks, chat and apps requiring Internet access absorb 69% of their smartphone usage, while 17% is for non-internet apps like the camera. SMS messages are nearly obsolete, while phone calls take up 14% of usage.
Millenials have a high propensity for spending money, even in times of economic crisis, with 69% buying products on their own.
However, 55% still live at home with their parents, although not always out of economic necessity. A total of 26% make this choice to enjoy a better quality of life, while 17% do it to avoid housekeeping.
Just 16% live on their own. Another 16% have created a family without children, while 13% have one or more children.
Italy's young adults live on smartphones
55% of Italians aged 18-34 live with parents, 13% have children