Netimperative
Netimperative
  • Home
  • Ads
  • Content
  • Mobile
  • E-commerce
  • Social
  • Regulation
  • Video
  • Viral
Menu
  • Apple
  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • YouTube

Boredom in Britain is at an all-time low… due to our smartphones

February 24, 2017

A survey of 2,000 Brits over 35 found that eight in 10 are rarely or never bored, because with their phone nearby there’s always something to do.

Twenty per cent of Brits say they are “never” without their phones, and three quarters reckon their lives are better because of it.

Greg Tatton-Brown, spokesman for online gaming site Casumo.com, who commissioned the survey through OnePoll, said: “In the last 20 years or so we’ve seen this explosion in mobile phones, with smartphones a vital part of everyday life in the 21st century.

“With this much stimulation, it can be difficult to focus on tasks at hand, especially if they’re not necessarily fun – like at work, or jobs at home that need doing.

“Our survey found that people today are bored far less often than they were 20 years ago, which is clearly linked with smartphones and the internet.”

In fact, 63 per cent of respondents said that they’re less bored today than they were 20 years ago, and attribute that directly to having a smartphone.

And just six per cent think they’re bored more often today than they were in decades past.

On average, people unlock their phones, stare at the screen and then put them away again without accomplishing anything more than 10 times a day.

And in the morning, checking the phone comes ahead of brushing teeth, eating breakfast and even giving a partner a hug or a kiss.

Staring at a phone is also one of Brits’ top ways of combating boredom, with 45 per cent picking it out as their top choice.

Watching TV unsurprisingly topped the list, with seven in 10 saying it’s their best boredom-buster.

Forty-four per cent spend their down-time browsing the internet or playing games on a computer or laptop.

And two thirds of the country believe they’re simply too busy to be bored, with the average time that an adult can “switch off” from chores and errands being 5:40pm.

While their levels of stimulation may have never been higher, many Brits’ attention spans are shortening.

When reading an article online, it takes an average of just 47 seconds for attention to start to drift.

And Brits admit to checking their phone 18 minutes after waking up, 28 minutes into a work meeting, 32 minutes on a date and 29 minutes after sex.

Greg Tatton-Brown said: “It’s great to see that the country is less bored than ever before, and that many people have their smartphones or computers to thank.

“With any luck, in another 20 years boredom may be gone completely.

Source: https://www.casumo.com/en-gb/blog/

Mobile games, smartphones

Archives

Tags

advertising agencies Amazon analytics Android Apple apps Australia BBC brands Brazil broadband China Christmas comScore content digital marketing ecommerce email Entertainment Europe Facebook France games Germany global Google government images infographic local marketing media Microsoft music Privacy retail Search security smartphones technology Twitter UK video YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Top six Valentine’s Day ads for 2022
  • 2021 Halloween: digital marketing campaigns we loved this year
  • Empowering employees; the critical link between EX and CX
  • Investing in in-app social features is a must in a world that is crying out to be connected
  • QR codes, Gen Z and the future of OOH

Copyright © 2025 Netimperative.

Magazine WordPress Theme by themehall.com

We use cookies to improve the website and your experience. We’ll assume you’re okay with this, but you’re welcome to opt-out
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT