29 Apr 2012
Posted by Miriam O'Neill 
Dads could be bypassed for YouTube or other new media channels in the future when it comes to learning DIY skills according to new research by the AA’s new Home Emergency Response service. The AA which has been exploring attitudes towards DIY among “the net generation,” as part of its launch of AA Home Emergency Response reveals that those in their twenties and late teens are far more inclined to turn to the internet for online tutorials when they need to figure out how to do a DIY job.
27% of those aged between 17 and 24 indicated that they’ve used the internet and 16% said they’ve used YouTube specifically to get step by step instructions on how to do work around the house. Both these figures are 10% higher than the overall averages as calculated across a sample of 11,000 people of all ages the AA reports. Just 1% of those over the age of 65 said they had used YouTube as a learning tool to help with a DIY job.
While learning life skills through digital media continues to increase, AA Home Emergency Response research indicates that Dads for the time being are still the number one port of call when it comes to getting help with home maintenance and repairs. 56% of respondents said they’d learned some of their knowledge from their dads, a figure which rises to 73% among the fledgling DIYers, the under 25s.
Just 5% of men compared to 26% of women surveyed said they’d picked up some of their DIY know-how from their mothers.
“As we all know children are growing up in a very different landscape and it’s amazing how tech savvy they are from a young age. As entrants into a new arena, home emergencies, we’re definitely observing a knowledge gap between age groups when we attend a home emergency.” Says Conor Faughnan, Director of Policy, AA Ireland. “For example one customer will have a basic knowledge of their home plumbing system while the next won’t even know where their water mains are.”
AA Home Emergency Response is a brand new and novel service for Home Emergencies from broken down boilers, burst pipes to faulty electrics and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no call out fees. Further information is available at www.aaireland.ie/her
