UK public embrace IT but shun tech hype

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS
The British public is still unimpressed by the hype that often surrounds new technology, despite the high take-up of PCs and mobile phones, according to a report published on Wednesday. Only a quarter of the UK adult population can be classed as "technology enthusiasts" who find new IT products fun and exciting, according to RealityIT -- Technology and Everyday Life, a study from the Work Foundation's iSociety project. The study concludes that 42 percent of UK adults are only interested in IT because it can benefit their everyday lives. These people, dubbed "quiet pragmatists" by the Work Foundation, use the Internet as a way of keeping in touch with family and friends and have little interest in interacting with online communities. They like mobile phones -- but are unlikely to ever use WAP. Functionality, not innovation, is what encourages a quiet pragmatist to buy a new piece of IT. Crucially, according to the Work Foundation, it is the quiet pragmatists -- not early adopters -- who dictate which technologies are successful. "They are a silent, sizeable minority, and their reaction to change is critical to the diffusion of information and communication technology," claims the iSociety report. The Work Foundation also found that almost one in three UK adults are sceptical of technology and are reluctant to use it. Even though 28 percent of these people own a home PC, and 60 percent own a mobile phone, they are uneasy about the rapid pace of change in technology, and are often opposed to services such as email. For such people -- who according to the survey are often manual workers -- buying an IT product is "a task undertaken out of grim necessity, with little or no pleasure in purchase," according to The Work Foundation. Technology enthusiasts are the people who are excited by new gadgets and devices. Making up 27 percent of the UK adult population, these people often say that technology is an important part of their lives and are the first to buy new gadgets. Such people are vital to the IT industry, as they will rush to the shops to invest in the latest handheld computer or to buy the latest software products. The Work Foundation claims, though, that more pragmatic people -- who stay on the sidelines when a new IT product is launched -- who in the long run determine which technologies become integral parts of all our lives. James Crabtree, who runs the iSociety project, insists that the majority of the population have remained immune to the hype surrounding the digital revolution. "Our use of technology is dominated by everyday concerns -- friends and family, childcare and the shopping. The new economy may have taken a beating recently, but iSociety is clearly alive and well," Crabtree said. PCs drub dishwashers in popularity stakes
The Work Foundation interviewed over 2,000 people while researching RealityIT -- Technology and Everyday Life, and uncovered some interesting statistics about the take-up of IT products. With 52 percent of all UK adults owning a PC, a British home is now twice as likely to contain a personal computer as it is to contain a dishwasher. Ownership is highest in the 34 to 44 age group, where 70 percent own a PC. Encouragingly for the government, which hopes to switch off the analogue broadcasting signal by 2010, 41 percent of those interviewed by the iSociety team live in a home containing a digital TV. Other findings are less than surprising. According to the Work Foundation, "texting is a young activity" -- while over 90 percent of 16 to 24 year olds have sent a text message, fewer than one in ten over 65s have done so. In total, 74 percent of UK adults own a mobile phone, and near-universal coverage -- 95 percent -- has been achieved in the 16 to 24 age range.
For the latest on everything from DVD standards and MP3s to your rights online, see the Personal Technology News Section. Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the ZDNet news forum. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

Moley

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

13 minutes ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
ramwellian

Your comments would seem pretty naive and immature. Your 'solution' appears to be, "gee, let's all just give in to the hackers and give them...

26 minutes ago by ramwellian on Cloud computing security: no more oxymoron?
BugStalker

"Interesting thought ... If you installed Win7 as a dual boot on a machine that previously only had Linux, and it wrecked your Linux installation,...

45 minutes ago by BugStalker on Windows 7 Declares War on GRUB
whs001

This is an excellent summary of Ubuntu and Mint and the interface differences between them. Most such articles take a very partisan position for...

49 minutes ago by whs001 on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Moley

@ewallace. Not so clear. Anyone can obtain the text, for example from here http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2379. I support ACTA so long as it and...

1 hour ago by Moley on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
45283

I think WinRT is fantastic. I just wish it was an option for people that didn't want to go through Microsoft's App Store with its attendant...

4 hours ago by 45283 on Why Windows 8 needs architectural hygiene for WOA
Burn-IT

Nine people? £30m? Who's back pocket is that lot going in? And IF they say it is for new buildings, what about all the ones the government has...

5 hours ago by Burn-IT on Police set to launch three £30m e-crime hubs
ewallace

Just to be clear, nobody knows what is in the text of ACTA, here is a photograph of the text of ACTA http://twitpic.com/8h9iju as submitted to the...

5 hours ago by ewallace on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
fgvrg56

Unfortunately main issue is that ASUS is refusing to accept that they make some mistake on this version of asus Transformer prime. 1 - GPS sensor...

7 hours ago by fgvrg56 on Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Wi-Fi & GPS problems?
Ben Woods

@Marcus A fair question. Just talked with Archos which said it was working on an announcement for next week....

8 hours ago by Ben Woods on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
Marcus Karlsson

Any update on this, considering the claimed "first week of February"?

9 hours ago by Marcus Karlsson via Facebook on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
apexwm

Bill Goodrich : Just as al_langevin pointed out, with Windows Server 2008 there is no Services for Macintosh anymore. It's gone, not available....

17 hours ago by apexwm on Windows Server 2008 drops the ball for Mac compatibility
txtrainguy

Replying to an old topic that I'm currently facing with my CEO (who is on a Mac). Our servers are primarily Windows Servers, office is about...

24 hours ago by txtrainguy on Windows Server 2008 drops the ball for Mac compatibility
k0tcs3

Sure, that makes perfect sense. Pay wrong-doers money and thank them for breaching your security and pointing out your flaws, that would surely...

1 day ago by k0tcs3 on US indicts Romanian over NASA climate change hack
Random_Error

I think he's referring specifically to Android apps, as Apple do regulate their App Store, but Google seem to let any old crap onto the Android store!

1 day ago by Random_Error on RIM: BlackBerry will keep 'garbage' apps out of store
Paul Fezziwig

Keep the crap apps out?! How will they compete with Android and Apple's claim to fame of having so many life changing apps? I wonder if the media...

1 day ago by Paul Fezziwig via Facebook on RIM: BlackBerry will keep 'garbage' apps out of store
Aigars Mahinovs

It has been shown time after time that if there is an author store that sells the songs at even 1$ per song and gives you a high-quality digital...

1 day ago by Aigars Mahinovs via Facebook on Copyright isn't working, says European Commission
awbMaven

""As a result of Butyka's alleged conduct, researchers were unable to use the computers for more than two months while NASA removed the malicious...

1 day ago by awbMaven on US indicts Romanian over NASA climate change hack
subhorup

It simultaneously worries me and uplifts me that a self-proclaimed group of internet activists name themselves after Indian mythical figures....

2 days ago by subhorup on Anonymous activists release PCAnywhere source code
naviathan

It's actually far easier to work anonymously on the internet than you think. With tools like Tor bouncing your traffic around the world before...

2 days ago by naviathan on Anonymous activists release PCAnywhere source code