Media release

Email? Internet? Sorry Mum, no idea!
iiNet research finds young adults feign IT ignorance

16 January 2012 - Sydney, Australia - Despite being branded the tech-generation, young adult Australians are downplaying their tech skills to avoid being nominated the resident IT expert for family and friends, according to a new study commissioned by iiNet.

A Newspoll study1 found nearly half (49 per cent) of 18 - 34 year old Australians are being asked by family and friends for help with their tech issues.  But of these young adults, one in three pretends they lack the right skills to take on the ‘IT support’ role.

iiNet’s Chief Customer Officer, Maryna Fewster, said the trend was not surprising with the team at iiNet seeing an increased demand for its customer support services from older Australians.

“Most of us have been in a position where a family member or friend has relied on us for ongoing help with email or trouble shooting, but you can’t blame people for getting a little tired of the expectation that they will always be there to help.”

“Being the ‘on call tech support’ for loved ones can become a bit of a chore so the BoBsquad team are now available to step in and provide personal support to residential customers who need a helping hand.”

The Newspoll study also found men are more likely to downplay their tech-skills than women with three in ten men compared to two in ten women pretending they don’t have the right tech skills when family and friends ask them to lend a hand.

But it’s not only Australia’s young adults who are guilty of skipping out on the ‘IT expert’ role, the Newspoll study also found 26 per cent of Australians aged 35 - 49 years old pretend they too lack the right tech skills when family and friends ask for help.

iiNet BoBsquad is a team of tech-loving experts who are available to personally help residential customers in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (metro areas only) with their tech issues starting at an affordable $99 for 60 minutes.

For more information on iiNet and the BoBsquad, visit www.iinet.net.au/home.


  iiNet’s Newspoll survey was conducted in November 2011 among 1,219 adults aged 18-64 nationally.

About iiNet 

iiNet is Australia's second largest DSL Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the leading challenger in the telecommunications market. We employ more than 2000 inquisitive staff across four countries and support over 1.3 million broadband, telephony and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) services nationwide.

We're a publicly listed company and we maintain our own super-fast broadband network. Our vision is to lead the market with products that harness the potential of the Internet and then differentiate with award-winning customer service.

To achieve this, we employ creative thinkers and true advocates of technology. Our people are a huge part of the iiNet success story, so we've developed a unique and stimulating work culture to ensure they remain engaged and inspired.

A lot has changed since our CEO founded iiNet in a suburban garage back in 1993 and the broadband landscape continues to evolve. What hasn't changed is our passion for the transformative benefits of the Internet and our commitment to helping Australians connect better.