Part 5: What the people want
Where consumers think tech could work harder—and smarter.
Family before anything else
Family and the household—those are the top reasons people cite for wanting more tech. Whether it’s for “keeping the home and loved ones safe” (chosen by 48% of respondents) or keeping them “comfortable” (41%), family always came first. Other reasons include:
The way people need tech now
Generational differences
Members of Gen Z have a greater need for tech in many areas of their lives, including mental health, personal interests and hobbies (50% vs. 39% of everyone else), home life (45% vs. 38%); communicating and relationships (38% vs. 24%); and education (31% vs. 20%).
Regional differences
People in the South rely heavily on tech when it comes to keeping their household and loved ones safe (56% vs. 48% for all consumers). Those living in the West are more focused on maintaining and improving their mental health (34% vs. 27% for everyone else).
Making tech work better for all
If we could improve the overall tech experience, many people say they’d want to simplify technology and make it more affordable, valuable, and useful. They’d also want clearer instructions, increased reliability and durability, and better security and privacy measures.
Where people go for answers
The majority of people use Google search when they need help with technology (cited by 60% of respondents), but many also prefer tutorials on YouTube (55%). Here’s the breakdown:
- Significantly more men than women have searched for a YouTube video to solve a tech problem (60% vs. 52%).
- Far more Gen Zers search YouTube than Boomers (62% vs. 45%).
- More people with kids watch YouTube than without (66% vs. 51%).
- More tech-savvy people than not use YouTube (66% vs. 49%).
