New research from GfK indicates that more than 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S., as well as in seventeen other countries around the world, struggle with addiction to technology. This is especially true with a young demographic segment like teens, but also with the upper income group.
See more on this research about technology addiction…
The research by GfK discovered that fully 34% of Internet users in the U.S. and in 17 other countries around the world agreed with the statement: “I find it difficult to take a break from technology, even when I know I should.” Only 16% disagreed with that statement.
When broken down by age group however, the situation showed very high levels of this “addiction” among teenagers aged 15-19 where fully 44% agreed with that statement. They were followed closely by young adults aged 20-29, of whom 41% agreed with the statement.
But the Scale Tips Here
It was only when the age range of the respondents increased to the over-50 year-old group did we see the scale tip to more that disagreed, with 25% of those aged 50-59 disagreeing. And in the case of those over 60, fully 33% disagreed with the statement, suggesting disconnecting from technology was not a problem for them.
When looking at respondents from an income perspective, a similar pattern appeared, but with those in the upper income ranges being the most addicted. According to the report, a full 39% of high income earners agreed with the same statement. However, all income groups demonstrated some level of tech addiction, with 30% of even low-income earners agreeing that disconnecting from technology is difficult.
Where Tech Addiction is High and Low
Finally, looking at the results in terms of the country that is the home of the respondent, we learn that China, Brazil, and Argentina are the most tech addicted (43%, 42%, 40% agreeing). On the other end of the scale is Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium are most immune (35%, 30%, 28%).
The research was conducted online in 17 countries, including the United States, with a total of more than 22,000 participants. All participants were required to be 15 or more years of age.
Learn more about this and other research at: www.emarketer.com.
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