Hakuhodo Institute of Behavior Design Releases 'Behavior Design Forecast 2026': Over 60% of Consumers Practice 'Pruning Behavior' to Discard Unnecessary Information

The Hakuhodo Institute of Behavior Design, a specialized organization under the Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living (Hakuhodo Inc., Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kenji Nagura) which promotes sei-katsu-sha (consumer) insight, conducted a 'Survey on Information Behavior and Desires' targeting 2,000 smartphone users aged 15 to 69.

This survey asked consumers about changes in their behavior of attracting and storing information daily ('information pooling') and their underlying desires, forecasting future consumer trends as the 'Behavior Design Forecast.' This time, while the information pool rate increased compared to the previous survey, 60% of consumers responded that they engage in behaviors to discard unnecessary information and retain valuable information to improve information quality. We have named this new sign of consumer behavior 'Pruning Behavior' (Sentaku Action): the behavior of consumers not merely selecting information of interest, but pruning away unnecessary information like tree branches, preparing and cultivating an environment where high-quality information enters. As the feeling of information excess grows, the reality of consumers enhancing information quality by fully utilizing the deletion of unnecessary apps and muting of social media accounts has become visible. The details of the survey and analysis results are explained below.

[Survey Results Overview]

1. Due to too much information and too fast speeds, the tendency to seek safety and simplicity is increasing

- The behavior of attracting and storing information (information pooling) is 72.9%, an increase from the previous time (+4.7 points compared to the 2024 survey).
- Fatigue and rejection towards unnecessary information have increased, with 'the speed of information in the world is too fast' (+5.4 points) and 'discomfort with the appearance and content of advertisements has increased' (+4.2 points).
- The desire for familiar peace and efficiency has increased, such as the desire for 'safety and security' (+4.4 points) and 'simplicity' (+3.5 points).

2. Over 60% of people engage in 'Pruning Behavior', keeping only useful information and letting go of unnecessary information

- Consumers who engage in 'Pruning Behavior' account for 61.2% of the total.
- The top specific action of 'Pruning Behavior' is 'Deleting apps/turning off notifications' (65.2%).
- The top reason for 'Pruning Behavior' is 'To find the information I truly want to know' (57.1%).

*In this institute, 'information pooling' is defined as the behavior of attracting and 'storing' information that seems useful/interesting and can satisfy one's own desires from daily life such as social media and the city.
*The '12 Desires' that are the source of the information pool and the ignition of feelings defined by this institute are shown in the figure below.

[Observations on the Survey: Behavior Design Forecast 2026]

In this survey, in addition to changes in consumers' information pooling rates and desires, we looked at 'Pruning Behavior', where consumers keep only information useful to them and let go of unnecessary information. Among the 12 desires, a particularly significant increase was seen in the 'desire for safety' among all survey respondents, reading consumers' will to protect the safety of themselves and their surroundings in a destabilizing social and economic situation.

Also regarding 'Pruning Behavior', it was found that more than 60% of the total are practicing it. As the information society accelerates and consumers are constantly exposed to some kind of information, we can see them carefully examining the information they should receive with their own hands and acting to create a more comfortable information pool, which feels related to the aforementioned increase in the desire for safety.

As consumers' information gathering behavior is arranged into something more comfortable for themselves, companies will be required to design information from the consumer's perspective more than ever before. In order to become 'information to be kept' for consumers, it will be necessary to prepare an environment where it is easy for consumers to perform 'Pruning Behavior', or to present information close to each individual's interests at timings and places that match the consumer's context.

The Institute of Behavior Design will continue to advance research on information and consumption behavior, starting with 'Pruning Behavior'.

[Survey Details 1] Situation of Information Pool and Realizations regarding Information (January 2026/November 2024)

An information pool is an information behavior advocated in the next-generation behavior design model 'PIX Loop TM' (refer to reference material 5) developed by our institute, where consumers successfully attract and 'store' information that seems useful/interesting and can satisfy their desires from daily life such as social media and the city.

- Presence or Absence of Information Pool Behavior

The percentage of those 'conducting an information pool' is 72.9%, an overall increase of +4.7 points compared to the FY2024 survey. Looking by gender and age group, although it decreased slightly among males in their teens, it is generally on an increasing trend.

- Realizations regarding Information (TOP 2 / Top 10 Items)

In addition to anxiety about the amount of information and the authenticity/handling of information such as 'Information is more about the certainty of content than the speed of transmission' (45.8%) and 'The amount of information in the world is too much' (41.6%), awareness of countermeasures against information anxiety ranked high and increased from the previous survey, such as 'Guidance is needed on morality and basic usage on the internet' (42.6%).