Britain is becoming a nation of techies, says latest research

Britain is becoming a nation of techies
TechMonitor research

Britain is becoming a nation of technophiles according to a huge piece of research by TechRadar publisher Future, which reveals some startling insights into how the UK perceives technology.

Future's TechMonitor Research, in association with The Source, found six key segments to the UK population, from the techtastic 'Immersed Leaders' and 'Expert Enthusiasts' right down to the 'Laggards'.

But even those who would previously have been considered far from likely to be interested or au fait with tech are coming around.

TechMonitor's infographic

A larger version of the infographic

Confident, pragmatic

Around 72 per cent of the population are feeling more confident with technology than they did a year ago and 58 per cent of over 65s are finding tech easier, ahem, to boot.

Future's audience - which, of course, includes you - is found to be very influential in technology with 80 per cent suggesting that their peers come to them for advice.

Other findings suggest that it will be connected televisions, tablets and 4G phones that drive British tech purchases in the coming 12 months, while the division between work and home is becoming increasingly blurred, especially for 16- to 35-year-olds.

Speaking about the research, Future's managing director of technology and entertainment Nial Ferguson said: "As the leading technology publisher in the UK, I believe we have a responsibility to develop and then share our understanding of the UK technology buying market.

"We need to understand the brands, the platforms and the general trends that are affecting our audiences."

Techmonitor is Future Tech's proprietary research study. It provides a detailed root and branch review of the tech buying market in the UK. Studies have been undertaken in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

This research study was carried out on behalf of Future by The Source, consisting of 2,894 UK responses with two distinct groups - 1,315 nationally representative and 1,579 Future readers.

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.