From helping us find love to solving a medical emergency, where would we be without the internet? According to a Carphone Warehouse survey of over 2000 UK adults, 83% turn to the internet for help, whether they’re looking to solve a personal problem, get career guidance or read up on a DIY tip.
- Women are most likely to be looking for health and wellbeing advice (56%).
- Men are most likely to be looking for help with their personal finances (49%).
- Nearly half of all respondents go online for meal inspiration (45%).
- Londoners are less keen on DIY (with only 37% checking out how-to videos) than any other part of the UK.
IMAGE: PEXELS
The Internet Gives Us Social Courage, And, In Some Cases, A Silver Tongue
- 40% say they use Google to blag through work conversations, with over half of this number doing it at least once a week!
- 73% of respondents find it easier to approach their crushes online. For Londoners, that number rises to 88%.
- 1 in 4 (23%) use the net to work out how to fit in with locals abroad.
Londoners Are Worriers – And Look For Advice A Lot
Are you between the ages of 25-34 and living in London? Our survey data says you’re turning to Google for help more than any other group anywhere else in the UK. We also found that:
- 1 in 4 (25%) Londoners look for help finding friends online. Contrast that with 2% in the east/East Anglia, 2% in the northwest and 4% in the southwest.
- 83% of Londoners self-diagnose their illnesses, compared with 55% in Scotland, 48% in the East Midlands, 43% in Yorkshire and the Humber, 42% in the southeast and 40% in the northeast.
- 67% of Londoners have turned to online dating, as opposed to 25% in the northeast, 20% in the northwest, 19% in Scotland, 19% in Yorkshire and the Humber and 16% in the east/East Anglia.
- In fact, Londoners look for dating advice, as well as makeup tips, far more than any other region in England and Wales.
- Only 12% of all respondents have used the internet to get advice about their love life. However, London accounts for 55% of those people. No other major UK region exceeds a 10% share.
Men Are More Sensitive Than We Might Assume
We’re conditioned to think of men as hardy souls with nary a worry in the world. Not quite true, according to our survey:
- 81% of men say they find it far easier to approach potential paramours online as opposed to in person. Women are less afflicted by this particular social anxiety, with only 60% saying they’d prefer to initiate contact online.
- Men are more likely than women to look for help online regarding their love life (16% vs 9%).
- Marginally more men consult the web for friendship advice than women (27% vs 25%).
- Almost a third of men (30%) have looked for help with one of the following topics: “how to be cool”; “how to be popular”; “how to make friends”; “do I have the right friends”; “do I have enough friends”. Only 11% of women say they have sought reassurance for the same questions.
- Only 5% of all respondents use the internet to work out whether or not a partner will propose. Interestingly, 75% of those checking are men.
We Self-Diagnose Our Ailments Online
While doctors don’t have to worry about their profession being under threat just yet, the internet has given rise to self-diagnosis:
- 60% of respondents say they look up ailments online, most commonly at the first sign, there’s something wrong.
- 63% feel relieved after being able to diagnose the problem.
- 17% fall into a state of panic at diagnosing the problem, while 20% say it neither panics nor relieves them.
If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
IMAGE: PEXELS
