While much of Britain is watching the Olympic games, they are concerned about their touchy touchscreen habits. Britain’s smartphone and tablet owners are worried that they are over-reliant on their technological companions (46% and 55%, respectively). In fact, as many as three-quarters of male tablet owners aged 16-34 worry that they are excessively glued to their touchscreens.
According to Harris Interactive Touchscreen Life study Great Britain as a nation, is not only spending more and more time in front of a screen, but has become concerned about the addiction.
- Parents are concerned about their children’s levels of screen life, with almost three in five (58%) saying they are concerned about the amount of time their kids spend in front of a screen – and, increasingly, this means mobiles and tablets as well as the traditional time-stealer, TV.
- Almost three in five smartphone owners and two in five tablet owners find it difficult to switch off, admitting to "always checking” their devices (58% and 37%, respectively).
- Smartphone and tablet owners often use their devices when relaxing at home (42% and 50%, respectively).
- Almost a quarter of smartphone owners and over a third of tablet owners confess to using their devices at home during ‘time with family’ (23% and 35%, respectively).
- Watching TV has become a multi-tasking activity, with almost half (48%) simultaneously using a tablet and over a third their smartphone (36%).
- Even walking is not done offline; more than a quarter use a smartphone or tablet at the same time (28% and 32%, respectively)!
- One in three would be “very alarmed” if we lost our smartphone because our personal data is not secure.