British Citizens Spend a Week a Year Analyzing Data on our Phones

Everyone around the world is using technology like never before. You can track your usage on phones, tablets, and laptops to see how much screen time you are using each week. This can become something of an obsession, with analytics to show you how much you are using gadgets in every which way you can think of. According to a survey of 2,000 British adults, even the analytic apps and device that monitor our use of technology are taking up about a week of our time each when tracking and analyzing digital behavior. 

Study Results

Surveying British citizens, the study shows that more than half of the people monitor their steps and movement, with 39 percent tracking their fitness and 34 percent regularly monitoring their heart rate. About a quarter of adults use applications to see how much sleep they are getting each night. It shows that the British spend 183 hours monitoring their use on average

While the study was commissioned to encourage the use of smart meters in UK homes during Big Energy Saving Week, 76 percent of people surveyed admit they don’t how much energy they are using at home. 36 percent of people monitor their weight while 34 percent check up on their sleep. Steps and movement as well as finances have 33 percent of people paying attention. Typically adults spend 30 minutes every day checking their health, behavior, and finances, which is the equivalent of 183 hours on average, or seven-and-a-half days every year. 

Tracking Habits

A quarter of the people surveyed prefer to track areas of their life because it motivates them to improve. There are about six apps and tracking tools we use on average. According to MoneyPug, which is use an energy comparison site, 22 percent surveyed say it makes it easier for them to set goals and keep them. 

Many find it satisfying to take a look at the facts and figures about their lives. 17 percent want to see their analytics and 11 percent of people view it as a game with themselves that they are trying to win. More than half of the people surveyed admitted that tracking tools are addictive, and 59 percent say it impacts their daily decisions. 

Respondents were typically eager to monitor their personal behavior concerning their health, including their screen time, locations they have visited, and their general fitness. Most admit that they aren’t the best when it comes to keeping track of how much they do this at homes. 

What we Monitor

While the analytics we monitor concerning our digital analytics vary, but most of it has to do with our fitness and health. First steps and movement represents 51 percent of the data. The second highest is overall fitness at 39 percent. Next is monitoring heart rate at 34 percent and sleep at 25 percent. 

Weight and diet are neck and neck at 24 and 22 percent. Monitoring screen time actually only makes up 19 percent of our analytics, which means we are more concerned with other things than the overall use of the phone. Furthermore, finances, including budgets, spending, and investment, make up 17 percent. Finally, monitoring the usage of mobile data from providers is 15 percent and locations visited make up 12 percent. 

Smart Meters

According to the study, there is an appetite to find out more about the environmental impact of their data usage and analytics. 42 percent of people said they want to do more to do their part to mitigate their energy use of technology but don’t know where to start. Furthermore, 50 percent said they find it easier to do their part if they could monitor their energy usage closely at home with technology. 

Over half of British citizens, 54 percent to be exact, think we should be tracking our energy usage using technology like smart meters as much as we track other aspects of our lifestyles. They help households become aware of their energy use and how to take the necessary steps to reduce it. 

By using the data provided from smart meters, we can make better assessments of our technological usage and energy needs. Effectively monitoring your data usage will not only help you utilize technology more efficiently, you will have more time for important issues that affect your life.