People started relying more on technology as a result of the pandemic as face-to-face interactions were replaced with digital ones. But the top reason for using more technology during the pandemic, according to a new pandemic technology use report, may surprise you.
According to a survey by Hyland Software, which calls itself a “content service provider,” the biggest reason for using more technology during the pandemic was that people were bored and were looking for something to pass the time.
Meanwhile, just over a third of respondents (34%) said their technology use increased due to remote work and 29% said digital technology was now the primary way that they shopped for groceries.
The survey also found that respondents had a relatively high level of distrust for newer technologies. More than four-in-10 consumers (41%) distrust artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-powered technologies.
Among other newer technologies:
- 5G: 20% used 5G for the first time during COVID-19, while the same percentage has no trust or limited trust in it.
- Social media: 20% have no trust whatsoever; 32% have very limited trust
- Smart speakers: 19% used them for the first time during COVID-19, but 39% had no trust or limited trust in them
- Chatbots: 18% have no trust; 24% have very limited trust
- Gig service: 18% percent tried the high-speed service for the first time during COVID-19, yet 27% had no trust or limited trust in it
“Emerging tech can overwhelmingly benefit consumers, but some of the uneasiness in certain technologies — like AI, chatbots and smart speakers — needs to be addressed,” Ed McQuiston, Hyland executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said in a blog post. “And it’s important to note the healthy skepticism consumers currently have isn’t a particularly new trait. In the 1930s, people were wary of standing too close to a telephone during a thunderstorm for fear it would explode, just one example of how irrational fears can impede adoption.”