Essential Report
Developments in technology
Q. Do you think developments in technology – that is, the increase in online, smartphones and social media – have been good or bad for the following?
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | ||
Accessing cultural products (music, video etc) | 76% | 4% | 28% | 48% | 17% | 3% | 1% | 3% | |
Purchasing consumer goods | 75% | 3% | 31% | 44% | 19% | 2% | 1% | 2% | |
The news media | 67% | 10% | 23% | 44% | 20% | 7% | 3% | 3% | |
Quality of education | 52% | 21% | 13% | 39% | 235 | 15% | 6% | 4% | |
Maintaining relationships | 40% | 29% | 7% | 33% | 26% | 20% | 9% | 3% | |
Public safety (e.g. road safety) | 34% | 31% | 9% | 25% | 30% | 17% | 14% | 4% | |
Parenting and child safety | 33% | 30% | 8% | 25% | 31% | 22% | 8% | 5% |
76% think that new developments in technology have been good for accessing cultural products, 75% think they have been good for purchasing consumer gods and 67% good for news media.
They were less certain they had been good for public safety (34%) and parenting and child safety (33%).

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