Britain's Gadget Confusion

Busy Britons suffer from gadget confusion, a study has found.

20:53 02 August 2018

A recent study has found that millions of Britons are baffled by the number of buttons, symbols and switches on devices that are difficult to use. The research, which was commissioned by Centrica Hive, also found that a large percentage of the population have no time to read instructions and up to three quarters confessed to being confused by gadgets. More than third say they do not have the time to try different settings while eight in 10 admit to using a “trial and error” approach when using devices and appliances

 

As a result of such confusion, six in 10 choose to manually change their heating preferences and a third do not use their microwave’s pre-programmed settings to help them cook things like jacket potatoes or fish hassle-free.

 

Tom Guy, global product director at Centrica Hive, which commissioned the study, said: “Technology needn’t be scary, especially with the number of innovative smart devices out there now.

 

“Our research shows how modern life leaves a number of Brits without the time or patience to get to grips with their tech, but smart devices in the home like thermostats, cameras and sensors are created to make life easier and give peace of mind.”