Reach for the gadget

British adults’ reliance on technology has reached such a degree that they now reach for a gadget every 16 minutes on average.

A survey of 1,000 adults, published by ElectricTobacconist.co.uk, revealed that the average Briton owns two gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and Fitbits/activity trackers – and picks them up on average of 60 times per day.

Smartphones were relied upon the most being used 47 times – or every 20.4 minutes – per day. Tablets fell into second place, and are used 13 times each day. Activity trackers such as Fitbits, MP3 players and vapes were used less frequently but still every day by those who use these gadgets.

On average, owners of these devices reached for the former two devices three times per day and the latter twice per day

According to the data, the fairer sex use their gadgets most frequently, reaching for them an average of 66 times per day, or every 14.5 minutes, compared to men who do so 54 times each day – or every 17.7 minutes.

Young people in the 18-24 year-old age bracket have the heaviest gadget habits reaching for technology more than 124 times per day – and seemingly have gadgets almost permanently at their fingertips, using them an astonishing every 7.7 minutes every day.