Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends: Consumers embrace GenAI but seek control over their digital lives

Rotterdam, 26 January 2026

In 2025, Generative AI made a clear breakthrough: three quarters of the Dutch population (76%) are aware of it and 61% have already used it. Use is mainly personal (83%), but it is also growing rapidly in the workplace: 52% of GenAI users employ it for work-related tasks. Young people are leading the way - 89% of Generation Z have used GenAI compared with 58% of baby boomers - and daily use has almost quintupled since 2023. 

These are some of the key findings from Deloitte's annual Digital Consumer Trends report, an extensive study of how Dutch consumers (N=2,000) use digital products and technologies. The report shows a strong increase in GenAI use, but also decreasing confidence in the reliability of AI-generated content. 

Only 20% believe GenAI is unbiased and 58% would be less inclined to use customer service provided solely by AI. In the workplace many employees use external, often free, tools (52%), while only a quarter use GenAI solutions paid for (and therefore approved) by their employer. Just over a fifth report that their organisation has no clear policy regarding the use of GenAI.

In addition to AI trends, the research also reverals shifts in connectivity and streaming behavior.

Dutch consumers prioritise speed and flexibility 

Smartphones (95% penetration) and laptops (83%) remain dominant, but the fastest growth is in wearables and audio: 68% own wireless headphones/earbuds and 38% own a smartwatch. Consumers are replacing their phones slightly more quickly - almost half (48%) bought their current device in the past 18 months. Nine per cent of respondents disposed of a digital device last year. For Gen Z this figure is much higher (22%), which may indicate that younger people are more conscious about their digital consumption. 

At the network level, access to 5G has increased significantly: 73% of smartphone users report access to 5G, a clear rise compared with 2024. At the same time a quarter of households use mobile data as their primary connection (rising to a third for Gen Z). Notably, 36% of respondents do not know the speed of their home broadband.

Jens Groot, technology expert at Deloitte: "Consumers are increasingly critical about their subscriptions: price and value determine choice. For Gen Z, mobile data is increasingly the primary connection. Telecoms and media companies therefore need no only to invest in network quality, but also in services that genuinely add value, match what consumers are willing to pay and take account of generational differences."

Broad support for ban on social media for under-16s

On average 62% of Dutch consumers favour a ban on social media for people under 16. Across all four generations (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen Y and baby boomers), secure age-verfication techniques are the most popular measure to limit children's use of social media. Sixty-six per cent of Gen Z support secure age verification for children under 16 and just over half of this generation (51%) back a ban on social media for children under 16 - measures that would affect part of their own generation. 

The research also shows changing online behaviour: 21% removed a social-media app in the past year and 19% added one, with Gen Z being the most active. Reasons for removing apps vary by generation - younger people more often cite time use and mental health, while older people more often cite adverts and misinformation. A majority of the Dutch take steps to reduce digital exposure: 51% have turned off notifications and 16% use screen-time limits. 

Subscriptions under pressure, social media overhauled: Dutch consumers seek control

The subscription market remains large but dynamic: video and music streaming are the most common (used by 73% and 52% respectively). The results show switching between different services. In the past year 25% of households signed up for a video-streaming service and 20% cancelled a subscription. Twenty-seven per cent said a subscription was too expensive and 19% said they simply had too many subscriptions. Yet 10% also re-subscribed to a service they had previously been a member of. 

These outcomes underline several policy and business priorities: clear AI governance and training are urgently needed as GenAI is rapidly adopted in practice. Transparency and quality assurance are essential to win consumer trust. 

About the Digital Consumer Trends research

Digital Consumer Trends 2025 (NL edition) was conducted by Deloitte's Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice. Digital Consumer Trends is a study of how consumers interact with and purchase digital products. It covers devices, connectivity, media and emerging technologies. 

The fieldwork was carried out in August 2025 by an independent research agency. The survey was distributed to 2,000 consumers in the Netherlands aged 18 to 75 and weighted to demographic characteristics such as age, gender, region and employment status.