Four in Ten Canadians (40%) Lack Confidence in Social Situations; Causing Many to Avoid Meeting New People

Toronto, ON, January 25, 2019 — At a time when it’s never been easier to connect with someone new, a new Ipsos survey for EXCEL Gum has found that many Canadians are missing out on the opportunity to do just that. Four in ten (40%) agree (11% strongly/29% somewhat) they lack confidence in social situations, and many go to great lengths to avoid them. For instance, nearly four in ten (35%) sometimes avoid meeting new people because they don’t feel confident in themselves, while one in four (26%) admit to sometimes skipping plans with friends due to a lack of self-confidence.

Socializing isn’t always a priority for Canadians: half (53%) agree (19% strongly/35% somewhat) that sometimes they would rather stay home than meet up with their friends – peaking among those aged 25-34 (66%), 18-24 (62%) and 35-44 (62%).

Younger Canadians seem to lack confidence the most when it comes to social situations. Among those aged 18 to 24, sometimes referred to as Generation Z, more than half (55%) agree they lack confidence in social situation, making them the least confident of all generations polled. Seven in ten (70%) say they’re uncomfortable in situations where there are a lot of people they don’t know – well ahead of the national average of 53% who agree (19% strongly/33% somewhat). Similarly, six in ten (58%) Gen Z Canadians agree they sometimes avoid meeting new people because they don’t feel confident in themselves, and nearly half (45%) have skipped plans with friends for the same reason.

Bad Breath Can Kill Confidence

One reason why so many Canadians can feel a little shy about meeting new people could be their breath. Four in ten Canadians (43%) agree (15% strongly/28% somewhat) they don’t feel confident when they think they have bad breath. This rises to more than half (56%) of Gen Z Canadians, ahead of any other generation. While most Canadians are prepared to start up a conversation anyway, 17% agree (4% strongly/13% somewhat) that they actively avoid it. Once again, Gen Z Canadians are more likely than any others to avoid engaging in conversations because they worry they have bad breath: one in three (32%) admit to having skipped the small talk for this reason.  

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos survey conducted between December 12 and 18, 2018, on behalf of EXCEL Gum. For this survey, a random sample of 1,502 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online via the Ipsos I-Say panel. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the survey is accurate to within ±2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson

Vice President, Canada,

Ipsos Public Affairs

+1 416 324 2002

sean.simpson@ipsos.com

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.

With offices in 89 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,780.5 million in 2017.