Do Chongqing Residents Need to Take a Tech Timeout?

    BROMLEY, ENGLAND, September 19, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The World's first pedestrian mobile phone lane has been created in the Chinese city of Chongqing, designed for people to walk and use their smartphones without colliding into others.

According to The Independent newspaper, the new lane is intended to be an ironic reminder that it is dangerous to become too engrossed with phones while walking. "There are lots of elderly people and children in our street, and walking with your mobile phone may cause unnecessary collisions here" said a city spokesman.

While there seem to be no plans for doing the same in the UK just yet, it may not be far off. So says Steve Dilworth, from member focused financial services organisation Foresters. He explains: "Certainly in the UK, we appear to be a nation of digital addicts. Research* shows that 81% of adults prefer to text, email or search the internet etc, rather than actually talk to one another, while 39% use social media or their phone while speaking with someone face-to-face.

"And this is just the tip of the iceberg. A previous study** revealed that children spend around 50 hours a week using technology, and adults are plugged in for 64 hours during this period of time also.

"It is clear that the use of digital devices may well be encroaching on family time. This is a worrying, anti-social trend, affecting our relationships with those we care about and robbing children of the chance to develop social skills.

The research** highlighted that 61% of adults believe that just an hour a day without technology would increase family communication and 38% felt it would improve family relationships.

With this in mind, Mr. Dilworth suggests that the residents of Chongqing "disconnect to reconnect" - which is the ethos of Foresters' Tech Timeout campaign.

He explains: "Our campaign has been running for a year now and has attracted over 33,000 pledges. It is simple - for one hour every day for a week turn off your electronic devices and do something else - and together."

Mr. Dilworth reports the positive feedback the campaign has received, with many people now having a regular 'ban' on technology having seen the benefits of trying it for a week.

To find out about Foresters' Tech Timeout campaign, visit www.techtimeout.com.

EDITOR'S NOTES

*Study of 1,000 people across the UK, Spring 2014
**Study of 1,100 people across the UK, November 2013
Studies carried out on behalf of Foresters by Wriglesworth Research.

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