The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Technological change

7 Feb 2017

Q. Overall, do you think that technological change is making people’s lives better or worse?

  Total agree   Men Women Aged

18-34

Aged

35-54

Aged 55+   Nov 2015
Total better 50%   53% 47% 55% 50% 45%   56%
Total worse 25%   20% 29% 18% 26% 32%   22%
A lot better 15%   15% 15% 17% 15% 14%   22%
A little better 35%   38% 32% 38% 35% 31%   34%
Neither better nor worse 22%   24% 20% 22% 22% 21%   18%
A little worse 17%   14% 20% 12% 19% 21%   16%
A lot worse 8%   6% 9% 6% 7% 11%   6%
Don’t know 3%   3% 3% 5% 3% 2%   4%

50% think that technological change is making people’s lives better and 25% think it is making people’s lives worse. 22% think it has made no difference. This is a shift to a slightly more negative view of technology since this question was asked in 2015.

Those most likely to think technology is making people’s lives better were aged 18-24 (57%), Labor voters (58%) and university educated (59%).

Error: