Do Aussies need to de-techtox?
Released on Thursday 5 December, the 2012 Stayz Holiday Habits Report reveals that Australians are struggling to escape work or resist heavy use of social media while on annual leave, often to the detriment of relationships with their travelling companions.
Commissioned by Australia’s leading holiday rental website Stayz.com.au, the research was conducted by Nielsen and surveyed 8900 Australians.
The research found that almost half of all holiday makers (47%) are phoned with work related questions by colleagues while they are on leave; and almost a quarter (23%) say working causes arguments with partners or friends while on holidays. It is interesting to note that more than half of all Aussie workers (51%) confess to checking their emails everyday while on holiday and more than a quarter (29%) spend 15 minutes or more scrolling through their inboxes daily while on leave.
In addition, the research found that while on holiday, 42% of Australians spend 15 minutes or more on social media every day with over half (52%) checking their social profile at least once a day.
Dave Dunstan, marketing director, The Stayz Group said, “It is not surprising that almost one in five (18%) Aussies say that they are unable to relax and switch off from work despite being out of the office and on holiday. Our research found that many Australians are unable to break away from their daily routine while on leave, and technology, whether it’s keeping up with work or sharing experiences on social media, is an important part of holiday life”.
Social currency is the new status symbol and is increasingly becoming the preferred platform for holidaying Aussies to share holiday experiences in real time, with 61 per cent uploading holiday photos on-the-spot, while over one third (36%) use social media to ‘check in’ to attractions, making sure their peers know their every move.
Technology is so ingrained in the Aussie lifestyle that 36% say they can’t switch off from it while on holiday and almost a quarter (23%) say they constantly use it while on holidays.
As with work, constant use of technology provides a bug bear for holiday companions with one fifth (20%) irritated by their travelling companions using technology, often at the expense of enjoying regular holiday activities or having a conversation. Additionally, 29% of Australians say that forgetting their mobile phone would make their holiday experience worse, illustrating how central technology is to many Aussie holidaymakers.
Interestingly, almost one in five (17%) travellers go straight to work after their holiday without even stopping by home to freshen up or drop off luggage, this is more common among singles in the 18-to 30-year-old age group.
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