OREANDA-NEWS.  A study of almost 2,800 adults across the UK found that 80% say technology has had a positive effect on their lives, compared to just 13% who feel it has had a negative impact. However, the positive headline figure is far from clear cut, with three quarters admitting there have been some downsides to the technological revolution in their homes.

The pros...
On the upside, people value the speed, security and flexibility which technology affords. Six out of 10 (60%) feel they can be in touch with friends and family more easily, while more than half (52%) say it saves time and effort through the likes of online shopping and streamed TV. More than a quarter (27%) value the peace of mind it brings, and a similar number (28%) value being able to see people who live miles away.

And the cons…
Almost half of respondents (48%) say that people in their households spend too much time looking at phones and tablets, and nearly a third (32%) say people text each other in the same house, rather than actually speaking face-to-face. This rises to 45% of homes with children.

Similar numbers (35% and 44% respectively) say they’ve experienced people ignoring conversations because they were distracted by their phone, and 32% (41% of parents) have had meal times interrupted by people texting or looking at their phones.

More worryingly, 38% of parents (26% of households overall) say that they have observed someone in the household losing sleep because they have stayed up late using social media. Further online issues are highlighted in the table below:

Proportion of households overall who have experienced problem Proportion of households with children who have expeirenced problem
People spend too much time looking at their phone / tablet 48% 56%
People ignoring conversations because they were distracted by their phone 35% 44%
People texting / looking at mobile phones during family meal times 32% 41%
People texting / messaging someone in the same house as them 32% 45%
People losing sleep because they have stayed up late using social media 26% 38%
Video games / online activity making at least one person in the house lazy 25% 32%
People in household not being able to ‘switch off' 18% 22%
Being constantly connected / contactable has made someone in the house feel stressed 13% 18%
Lindsey Rix, MD, Personal Lines Aviva UK General Insurance says: “Technology is changing our homes and lives at a rapid pace making the day-to-day quicker, slicker and simpler – but as is often the case, change brings with it some challenges.

“Households with children in particular suggest that technology can at times be intrusive, with people communicating via their phones rather than in person, and at inappropriate times such as during family meals. It’s a sign of the times that a third of parents have switched off internet access as a punishment to their children! There’s also evidence that the ‘always on’ culture is making it difficult for people to switch off, and in some cases is causing people to become stressed.

“The good news is that most households feel the pros of technology outweigh the cons, and the vast majority are embracing it as a result. But there’s a need to balance the ‘on’ time with time to catch up and enjoy being offline too.”

All figures are taken from a poll carried out by Censuswide Research on behalf of Aviva in December 2016. All respondents were randomly selected from across the UK. 1,780 adult general consumers, 1,010 parents of children aged 10-15, and 931 children aged 10-15 were surveyed.

About Aviva:

Aviva provides life insurance, general insurance, health insurance and asset management to 33 million customers, across 16 markets worldwide
In the UK we are the leading insurer serving one in every four households and have strong businesses in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Canada. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE100 index.
Aviva’s asset management business, Aviva Investors, provides asset management services to both Aviva and external clients, and currently manages over ?319 billion in assets.
Aviva helps people save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life; we paid out ?30.7 billion in benefits and claims in 2015.