DE-CIX’s Thanksgiving survey 2024 reveals likely Internet habits during the national holiday, the average time Americans will spend online on the day, and whether marshmallows do actually belong on sweet potatoes
New York. Turkey won’t be the only hot item on the menu this Thanksgiving. The DE-CIX Thanksgiving survey 2024 reveals that debates about the presidential election, politics, and climate change will dominate dinner table discussions during next week’s celebrations.
The Thanksgiving survey*, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of DE-CIX, one of the world’s largest Internet Exchange (IX) operators, interviewed more than 2,000 people in states including Arizona, New York, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, to find out how and why they would be using the Internet during their Thanksgiving’s celebrations. Around three-quarters (74%) anticipate debates around the dinner table, and one third (31%) of those expect national politics and climate change to dominate all other topics to the extent that they will be reaching for their devices to fact-check and dispel misinformation.
Sports came second, with nearly a quarter (24%) saying they would be consulting their phones to settle disagreements about the NFL and other leagues, as the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys take to the field to play their traditional Thanksgiving games. Family politics is taking a back seat this year at just 18%, and just over 6% said they would most likely reach for their phones when finally trying to settle the long-standing debate over whether or not marshmallows belong on the sweet potatoes.
Family disputes are not the only reason people will be taking their phones out of their pockets. When asked about the best way to sneak a peek at the football game on their devices without getting caught, one in four (25%) men and women said they would fake a bathroom break. Other sly tactics included volunteering to collect a family member, offering to pick up a missing ingredient, and even hiding away in the garage. Twenty-two percent admitted accepting their fate, resigned to the fact that there was no way to watch the game without getting caught.
The survey, which gathered results from people of all ages across urban and rural areas, also revealed that the average individual will spend around two hours online during Thanksgiving, with 27% expecting to spend up to four hours accessing the Internet. Outside of family arguments, the majority (45%) will use their devices to check social media feeds and memes, 40% will do online shopping and take advantage of the holiday sales, 36% will listen to music or podcasts, and 34% will video-call family and friends not in attendance. One in ten (11%) will be carrying out last-minute research on how to cook a traditional Thanksgiving turkey. Only 8% of all respondents claimed they wouldn’t use the Internet for anything on Thanksgiving.
“While this is a light-hearted study, it provides some deeply revealing insights,” said Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. “The average American will spend roughly two hours online this Thanksgiving, from settling debates about politics and live-streaming football, to checking recipes and posting on social media. It demonstrates the importance of connectivity and how essential the Internet has become to our everyday lives. DE-CIX’s mission is carry on supporting that connectivity through the establishment of neutral, high-performance interconnection ecosystems that offer fast, low-latency access to users.”
An Internet Exchange (IX) is a hub at which different networks connect directly to exchange Internet traffic, improving speed and reducing costs by bypassing third-party networks and unnecessary detours or additional “hops” on the Internet. DE-CIX recently announced the establishment of its sixth US-based Internet Exchange (IX) in Houston, Texas, expanding what is now the largest neutral interconnection ecosystem in North America. Neutral IXs are vital to enhancing connectivity because they allow networks from diverse providers to connect at a single, independent hub without being locked into any one carrier or data center. This neutrality fosters collaboration across networks, reduces latency by enabling more direct connections, and enhances resilience by giving networks the flexibility to choose the best routes for their data. For end users such as those that make up this survey, neutral IXs ultimately mean faster, more reliable access, while businesses benefit from lower costs and improved connectivity performance across key regions.
DE-CIX offers its interconnection services in close to 60 locations across Europe, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, and Asia. Accessible from data centers in over 600 cities world-wide, DE-CIX interconnects thousands of network operators (carriers), Internet service providers (ISPs), content providers and enterprise networks from more than 100 countries, and offers peering, cloud, and other interconnection services.
*About the Research
The research was conducted by Censuswide with 2,002 US General consumers who celebrate Thanksgiving (with geographical quotas) between 06.11.24 to 12.11.24. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.
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