Technology obsession screening in a home near you
12/11/2009
Technology continues to captivate us with nearly 70 per cent of Queenslanders saying they spend more than three hours a day at home in front of one kind of screen or another.
According to a recent NRMA Insurance household survey, the average Queensland household now has more than nine screens, including televisions, computers, mobile phones, PDAs and MP3 players.
In Queensland:
- nearly 50 per cent of homes have three or more televisions;
- more than 25 per cent have three or more iPods or other MP3 players;
- more than 40 per cent have three or more computers;
45 per cent have three or more mobile phones or PDAs.
NRMA Insurance spokesperson Frank Adler said many households used multiple screens at the same time, yet nearly 70 per cent of those surveyed said increased use of technology had not affected household interactions.
“It appears screen time is considered a normal part of life for the average household in 2009,” he said.
“A lot of households will find it’s common for a TV, laptop, mobile phone and MP3 player to be used at the same time in the same house – even the same room.
“We found it interesting that so many of us complain about our busy lifestyles but still seem to have so much time for our technology.”
The research indicated Queenslanders’ obsession with technology was in line with the national average, although regional households had slightly fewer screens (8.7) than other parts of Australia.
Regardless of the number of screens owned, Mr Adler encouraged households to make sure they had adequate insurance cover for all of their gadgets. More than 50 per cent of Queenslanders surveyed were either unsure or doubtful they had enough cover for their technology or had no contents cover at all.
* Based on survey of 2,800 Australian households by Pure Profile Research for NRMA Insurance, October 2009.