Young phone users ‘suffering from load rage’
IT TAKES young people in the UK less than one minute to get annoyed while waiting for phone content to download, research suggests.
The survey of UK smartphone users by Chinese phone maker OnePlus suggests young people are five times more likely to lose their temper because of slow download speeds than older users.
Annoyance at internet connectivity and download speeds – labelled “load rage” – was also named as the most frustrating element of life by young people.
As a result, two-fifths of millennials said they felt symptoms of burnout, including fatigue, insomnia and anxiety, because of the digital-heavy nature of their lives.
But more than a quarter of 16 to 34-year-olds surveyed also said older generations did not understand the pressures on young people.
The research suggested a high level of awareness about excessive phone use among younger people, with nearly half of those aged 16-24 claiming they would like to reduce their screen time.
A third of all UK smartphone users said they immediately regretted getting worked up over tech issues.
The impact of technology on mental health, particularly in young people, has become a larger talking point within the industry amid increased scrutiny from the Government over the amount of time people spend in front of screens.
Proposals put forward by the Government in a white paper earlier this year said a greater duty of care should be placed on technology companies to protect their users from harm.