DDMA Barometer 2025: The Dutch are reducing their digital media use, what does this mean for marketing in 2026?

Also available in Dutch.

Based on age and a critical attitude towards digital media use, there are two types of Dutch people: the ‘young mindful surfer’ and the ‘senior digital balance seeker’. The young mindful surfer is a mix of Generation Z and Millennials, and the senior digital balance seeker a mix of Generation X and Baby Boomers. Both groups say they are aware of their digital media use and are considering reducing it or are already doing so.

Digital detoxing is a reality

This need for digital peace doesn’t stem from a distrust of marketing or technology, but from a desire to manage time and attention more carefully due to the digital overload of content, information, and screen time. Dutch people who spend less time online or want to, the “digital detoxers,” primarily cite “more time for other activities” (61%), “(offline) social contact” (41%), and “more peace” (47%) as the main reasons for (wanting to) spend less time online. Young mindful surfers also more often cite “health” and “productivity” as motivations.

Consumer research also shows that digital detoxers actively adjust their behavior. For example, 44% turn off or put down their digital device more often, and 33% consciously turn off notifications. Social media platforms, in particular, are cited as channels they want to spend less time on.

Attention is a growing bottleneck for the marketing sector as well

Consumers’ search for peace of mind is not unique. In the DDMA’s Data-Driven Marketing Survey (DDMO) 2025, 23% of marketing professionals indicate that “getting enough attention from consumers” is currently one of the biggest challenges for data-driven marketing. Furthermore, 62% expect that “attention” will become even more important within the field by 2030.

Both the DDMA Barometer 2025 and the DDMO 2025 thus demonstrate that not only do consumers want to manage digital attention differently, but marketing professionals are also realizing that the current level of communication is no longer self-evidently working towards their objectives.

High Awareness of Online Attention Techniques

Consumers are not unaware of the battle organisations are fighting for their attention: 88% of Dutch people say they are (fairly to very) aware of the techniques digital media or platforms use to keep them engaged online, for example, through personalized ads, autoplay, or visual triggers. Personalised content is recognised most often (56%).

At the same time, this high level of awareness is also changing consumer expectations. During the DDMA Exchange Table: The P for Personalisation, experts indicated that personalization is essentially intended to be more relevant and better meet consumer needs, but that the role and significance of genuine attention is often overlooked. When the human context is missing, the relationship becomes more distant, and personalisation loses its value.

Appreciation for organisations that respect attention

71% of Dutch people appreciate organisations that carefully manage their time and attention. At the same time, a significant portion of respondents find that communication from organisations is too frequent, too commercial, or too intrusive.

Consumers don’t want organizations to remain silent, but rather that their marketing communications better align with what people actually want to know or receive. There is clear appreciation for sincere and honest communication, humor and creativity without overt sales intent, relevance, and short updates. For organizations, this means it pays to invest in quality over quantity. Sending fewer messages can actually increase effectiveness, provided the content aligns well with needs.

There are notable differences between groups. Young mindful surfers are open to a slightly higher contact frequency with organizations as long as the tone is honest and the message is directly relevant. Senior digital balance seekers prefer lower frequency and less communication pressure. These differences demonstrate the importance of sharp segmentation for marketing professionals.

Insights in light of the DDMA Annual Plan 2026

The findings from the DDMA Barometer 2025 closely align with the DDMA’s direction, as established in the 2026 Annual Plan. The growth of digital stimuli makes it clear that marketing and communication need to be rebalanced.

In 2026, DDMA will work with two focus themes that support this development:

1. The AI-driven organization
This focuses on how organsations use technology carefully and thoughtfully. The question is not only how AI makes processes more efficient, but especially how technology can contribute to better customer relationships and responsible data use.

2. Customer-focused communication in the data- and tech-driven era
This focus theme aligns directly with the DDMA Barometer research: marketing professionals are seeking a new balance in which messages are fewer in number but more compelling in content. Consumers don’t want abundance, but clarity, relevance, and respect for their time.

The DDMA Barometer 2025 confirms why these specific focus themes were chosen: the marketing sector must consciously balance technological progress and communication quality.

Implications for marketers: from attracting attention to earning it

The DDMA Barometer 2025 shows that data-driven marketing is less about grabbing attention and more about carefully giving it. For marketers, this means critically examining the content and volume of communication, being clear about how data and attention techniques are deployed and carefully segmenting so that frequency and message align with the needs of different target groups. Investing in genuine, relevant, and accessible content is more important than standing out with intrusive, commercial messages.

Consumers are not less interested in brands, but they are less willing to spend time and mental space on messages that are irrelevant or overly explicit. Therefore, the future of data-driven marketing lies not in more communication to gain sufficient consumer attention, but in better communication.

Want to know more? DDMA Digital Talk Barometer 2025 – Dutch spoken
On December 16, 2025, we’ll be discussing this topic with experts from research, anthropology, sociology, and the field during the DDMA Digital Talk Barometer 2025 – Consumer Attention: From Overload to Connection.

Together, we’ll discuss the key findings from the DDMA Barometer research and the implications for marketing practice. How is consumer behavior changing around attention? Which signals should brands take seriously? And how can you build genuine connection in an era of declining screen time?

Research Disclosure
The DDMA Barometer 2025 contains insights from online quantitative research among 1,535 Dutch people, representative of the Dutch population aged 16 and older by age, education level, gender, and region. The research was conducted in September and October 2025 by DDMA in collaboration with Newcom Research & Consultancy.

If you have any questions or comments about this research, please email info@ddma.nl.

Nanda Appelman

Market Insights Specialist