Survey Reveals Which Tech Device Different Generations Would Miss Most

An interesting study was conducted recently in the UK, surveying people of all ages about their relationships with the common tech devices of today, including laptops, smartphones, and televisions. The results were broken down into age groups ranging from teens to over 75, and in the end it revealed not only a number of differences in the devices that different generations cling to, but also how important (or unimportant) some technologies become over time. The data was collected by the UK's Ofcom, or the equivalent of the FCC.

One of the main questions of the study asked which device that people use almost every day would be missed the most if it were taken away. Looking at the results in a graph, the most obvious trends are that older generations see the TV as the most important, while the younger cherish the smartphone.

But looking at devices other than those two primary answers, we can see tablets have their highest levels of importance in users between the ages of 35 and 54, but there is a rapid drop-off among users 34 and under. Similarly, PCs and laptops see their highest levels in the middle-aged generations, while there is a natural decline among the young as smartphones rapidly increase.

Also unsurprising is how unimportant older technology, like radio, and media, like books and newspapers, becomes among younger generations, again as digital-focused devices like phones, tablets, and computers take over.

If the importance of smartphones among the younger generations weren't overstated enough, another part of the survey asked the different generations what the most important device was for connecting to the internet. Of course phones are the most important to younger, but it can't be denied how much more important they are to those 34 and younger than to those 35 and older.

SOURCE Ofcom