AMD survey reckons Brits are Webaholics

A SURVEY COMMISIONED by AMD says Brits are increasingly turning to the Internet for work, entertainment, games and socialising.

Research outfit, YouGov, carried out the European Connectivity survey at the behest of AMD, polling 1,000 Brits about their notebook usage and connectivity.

The results are somewhat surprising, with 67 per cent of tech obsessed Britons saying the Internet is more important to them than either having a car or a washing machine. The survey also reckons Britons are becoming so insular they would rather shop online this Christmas (56 per cent) than socialise with friends (49 per cent) or shop outside on the high street (54 per cent).

In the press release detailing the survey, Life Coach, Dr Sally Ann Law, is quoted as saying “Behavioural patterns are shifting to favour technology over face-to-face interaction” and it appears she may have a point. Apparently 90 per cent of 18-24 year-olds own a notebook and 73 per cent of those reckon they couldn’t live without it.

As for online habits, it seems a favorite amongst Brits is social not-working, with 57 per cent admitting they regularly indulge in the habit. 75 per cent of those polled also said they had watched videos on Youtube (88 per cent men v 63 percent women) whilst 78 per cent said they had uploaded digital photos.

The study also found that whilst men were more likely to download music than women (71 per cent of men vs. 62 per cent women), the fairer sex was slightly more interested in chatting away on Instant Messenger (53 per cent of women vs 47 per cent of men).

The study claims 16 million Brits have bumped laptops to the top of their Christmas lists, noting that even women are going PC crazy this year, preferring to have their stockings filled with laptops than hair straighteners. Men are also apparently more likely to ask Santa for a PC than a games console this Crimbo.

Stating the slightly obvious, the survey results also note that, in times of economic crisis, people are expecting higher performance PCs for lower prices and stating that price does affect their decision on which PC to splurge on. However, with video game popularity on the rise, the survey also says computers with a powerful HD visual experience and powerful graphics are also high on the list.

Men especially seem suckers for pretty graphics, with 49 per cent of those surveyed rating graphics as the most important factor when buying a notebook compared to 32 per cent of women. Women, on the other hand, care more about portability than their male counterparts, with 46 per cent citing it as an important factor compared to 39 per cent of men.

The above only goes to prove the old stereotype that men only care about looks, whereas women are obsessed with weight. µ