The report into attitudes towards the internet also revealed that ‘disconnecting’ doesn’t fit how modern life works because so many people living in the UK rely on having an internet connection. In fact, having internet access is largely viewed positively, with the top benefits in priority order listed as:
- It’s provided me with more entertainment (60%)
- Being online helps me to reconnect with friends and family (54%)
- The internet has supported education and upskilling (35%)
- Online digital connection has improved my access to healthcare and wellbeing resources (31%)
- Having reliable and at home internet access allowed me to work remotely or flexibly (31%)
On average, Brits estimated that being offline for a maximum of four days would be about their limit. A fifth claimed that they thought that between one and two days without the internet is as much as they could manage.
Britons also feel that being digitally dependent doesn’t make them miserable. A third believe they have a healthy balance of being offline and online and, overall, 31% said having access to the internet has made everyday tasks easier.
A quarter of people do try to limit their time online and 17% only go online when they really need to.
There are generational nuances in attitudes to living in an always-on culture.
As perhaps expected, younger generations live more of their lives digitally than older generations. Millennials gave the highest response when asked whether they spend more time online than offline. 63% of those aged between 30 and 45 said they think they spend more time online than offline. Gen Z, aged between 14 and 29 years old, weren’t far behind with 59% of this generation saying they are online more than offline. Only 33% of Baby Boomers aged 62+ say they spend more time online than offline.
Gen Z, aged between 14 and 29 years old, admitted that they waste a lot of time online, especially scrolling through social media apps. 32% claimed this to be true. In comparison, only 16% of those aged between 62 and 80 said their experience of being online was time wasting.
While the national average for taking an intentional break from being online, or a digital detox, was 37% - among Gen Z, this rose to 55% who said they have taken a digital detox. Baby Boomers were the cohort that aren’t worried about their digital addiction or online habits – and only one in five among this age group have taken a digital detox.
UK-based Internet Service Provider Zen Internet commissioned the survey. Stephen Warburton, who is Zen’s Consumer Director and has been with the business for more than 20 years, said: “There’s a lot of talk about digital detoxing, and taking time to switch off can be important for wellbeing. But for most people the internet now plays a central role in everyday life. The findings show that while many recognise the need for balance, switching off entirely isn’t always practical in a world that’s increasingly built around being online. As reliance deepens, expectations around reliability and resilience are rising too.”
The timing of the results from Zen’s survey coincided with an annual event called Global Unplugging Day on 6 March. The rationale behind having a day to unplug and take a break from digital devices for 24 hours is to encourage people to reconnect with the world around them. The initiative is led by a not-for-profit organisation that this year is also running a research study to better understand what happens when people purposefully gather offline, in person and phone-free. The campaign will look at the impact that being more connected in person versus online has on feelings of belonging, loneliness, social support and overall life satisfaction.
Looking at Zen’s research through its survey with Censuswide, in the UK the majority of Brits don’t feel overwhelmed by being constantly connected online. Just under a third say they have a healthy balance with their internet use, and only one in ten report often feeling overwhelmed or burnt out from being online.
Among respondents who do have concerns about their online lifestyle and internet usage, 10% said they do feel more disconnected despite being constantly connected. One in ten also feel it hampers their concentration.
Overall, this research captures the current attitudes to ‘switching off’ or unplugging from digital devices. Britain’s relationship with the internet appears to be a largely positive one and less about detoxing completely and more about finding ways to balance how to enjoy life both online and in-person.
Reviewed by Asim BN.
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by Guest Contributor via Digital Information World
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