According to a Sheng Kung Hui (SKH) Macau Social Service Co-ordination Office survey, local youths spend on average over two hours on mobile shopping applications such as Taobo or AOMI every day, the office’s Service Coordinator Posso Ip Kam Po said yesterday during a press conference at the office in Rua de Pedro Nolasco da Silva.
According to a statement handed out during the press conference, the survey had 673 respondents, comprising 394 students from tertiary institutions and 279 working youths. The statement noted that when the survey was conducted all the respondents were under 35 years old and that 75 percent of them are women. The statement also said that last year’s government consumption promotion subsidy might have affected the survey results.
According to the findings, 62.7 percent of the student respondents agreed that digital payment methods are the cause of their increased daily spending, while 57 percent of the working youths agreed as well. The survey also showed that 47.5 percent of student respondents only save up when they have leftover money, while 53.8 percent of working youths save a standard amount every month.
However, the findings show that both youth segments do not have the practice of keeping a record of their spending or have an application that records their spending. The survey also noted over 20 percent of youths said that they think money is “easy come easy go”.
The findings also show that both segments spend two hours or more on shopping applications every day. According to the findings, around 40 percent of the respondents will immediately purchase items after going through the shopping application, while one third has a strong shopping desire or shopping makes them feel excited.
Ip told reporters on the sidelines of the press conference that young people should start keeping track of their daily spending so they could reflect upon their expenditure habits at the end of every month. Ip also urged the government to strengthen youngsters’ education on financial management.
Service Coordinator Posso Ip Kam Po talks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference at the Sheng Kung Hui (SKH) Macau Social Service Coordination Office on Rua de Pedro Nolasco da Silva.
Photo: Prisca Tang
