All I want for Christmas is Zoom - 29 million set to video call family this Christmas
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS ZOOM - 29 MILLION SET TO VIDEO CALL FAMILY THIS CHRISTMAS
Over half of the UK (55%) will video call family and friends to say ‘Merry Christmas’ this year[1], twice as many as 2019[2]
Households are preparing for a digital Christmas with festive TV screen time increasing to 5 hours 30 minutes - up by a third (31%) compared to last year[3]
Sheffield will spend the most time on the sofa watching 7 hours and 48 minutes of Christmas TV, 3 hours 2 minutes longer than Edinburgh[4]
Four fifths (86%) of Brits will shop through a screen this year as for the first time more than half of presents will be bought online[5]
With households spending more time on screens and Wi-Fi gadgets high on Christmas lists, Uswitch.com offers tips on how to stay connected.
As coronavirus restrictions push consumers towards a digital Christmas, over half (55%) of the UK plan to wish family and friends a ‘Merry Christmas’ via video calling apps this year[1], reveals Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
The number of people set to video call between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day has doubled since last year (28%), while a quarter of Brits (24%) admit they only started communicating this way since the first lockdown began in March[2].
An average of 5 hours 30 minutes is predicted to be spent in front of the box over Christmas, which is a 31% increase from last December. That means 202 million hours of Christmas films or box sets across the three festive days - the equivalent of watching ‘Elf’ over 125 million times[3].
Sheffield will be spending the most time sat on sofas this Christmas as they average 7 hours 48 minutes binge-watching Christmas movies or box sets, while Edinburgh spare just 3 hours 54 minutes for festive films[4].
Screens are also set to be used for shopping too as four fifths (86%) of consumers say they’ll be browsing the web for present ideas. And for the first time ever, over half of Christmas gifts (55%) will be bought online, up from 45% last year[5].
Christmas shoppers are set to spend four hours trawling the web for gifts[5], with more than half (57%) of consumers avoiding the supermarkets by completing their Christmas food shop online[6].
Predictions show that 12 hours per person will be spent using a digital device for Christmas related activities including gift shopping, video calling, food shopping as well as streaming Christmas films and boxsets[6].
Digital items are swarming Christmas wish lists as four in ten (39%) adults are planning to purchase at least one item of technology this Christmas. One in ten shoppers (11%) are looking to get a new laptop or PC while 9% are on the hunt for a smart TV, tablet or gaming console[7].
With the increased amount of time households are set to spend online, Uswitch.com offers tips on how to improve your internet connection at home to ensure devices can run simultaneously and smoothly.
Nick Baker, broadband expert at Uswitch.com comments: “Considering the events that have played out this year, it’s not surprising that consumers are turning to digital devices to keep the Christmas spirit alive and stay in contact with loved ones.
“What is impressive though, is the sheer amount of hours we are planning to spend on our screens this December, whether that be on mobiles, laptops, tablets or TVs - not to mention all the additional tech Brits will be unwrapping over the Christmas holidays.
“With nearly all digital products requiring an internet connection, it’s essential to check that you’ve got the right service to match your needs.
“If you are struggling, try a couple of simple steps, such as moving your router to a better position or purchasing a Wi-Fi extender, to get a more stable connection throughout your home.”
Find out how you could save nearly £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
Notes to editors:
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from 10th-12th November 2020. Results are weighted to reflect a nationally representative criteria.
UK population aged 18 and over: 52,673,433. Source: ONS
Respondents were asked ‘Do you currently use a video calling app to speak with friends and/or family on your phone, tablet, PC or laptop?’ Out of 2000 respondents, 24% said yes since March lockdown, 41% said yes since before March lockdown. Respondents were asked ‘How much time did / do you plan to spend video calling in total with family and/or friends over that three-day Christmas period (24th – 26th December)? 2019: average 1.5hours. 2020: (54.5% of Brits) average 1.5hours. 90 minutes x 28,707,020.9 UK adults that will be using video calling over Christmas 2020 = 2,583,631,881 minutes or 43,060,531.35 hours.
Respondents were asked ‘Do you currently use a video calling app to speak with friends and/or family on your phone, tablet, PC or laptop?’ Out of 2000 respondents, 24% said yes since March lockdown, 41% said yes since before March lockdown. Average time spent video calling in 2019: 1.5hours (28% of Brits). Figures anticipated for 2020: 1.5hours (54.5% of Brits - double 2019’s figure).
Respondents were asked ‘Thinking of the Christmas period (24th – 26th December), how many hours in total did you spend/will you spend watching films or box sets?’ Those who watched films and boxsets in 2019 averaged: 4.4 hours. Those who will watch films and boxsets this Christmas 2020 average: 5.5 hours = 31% increase.The film ‘Elf’ has a running time of 97 minutes (source: Wikipedia). 12,167,563,023 minutes spent watching television divided by 97 minutes = 125,438,794.
Respondents were asked ‘Thinking of the Christmas period (24th – 26th December), how many hours in total will you spend watching films or box sets?’ Those who plan to spend time watching box sets this Christmas were split by city, calculating their average time per location. See tables in release above.
Respondents were asked for 2019 and 2020, ‘what proportion of Christmas gifts do you plan to buy online?’ Those who responded ‘yes’ to shopping online for gifts answered 45% of gifts were bought online in 2019 and 54.5% of gifts will be bought online in 2020.
Respondents were asked how long they expect to spend online gift shopping, online food shopping and watching Christmas films and box sets. Average time spent: 1 hour food shopping (60 minutes x UK adults that will be food shopping online (57%) = 1,801,431,408 minutes), 4 hours gift shopping (210 minutes x UK adults that will be gift shopping online (86%) = 10,871,796,552 minutes) and 5.5 hours spent watching films and box sets (330 minutes x UK adults watching films and box sets (70%) = 12,167,563,023 minutes). Total time spent on screens: 27,418,023,045 minutes.
Respondents were asked ‘are you planning to buy any of the following tech items this Christmas, either for yourself or for others?’ Answers out of 2000 respondents: Headphones (11%), Laptop/PC (11%), Smart TV (9%), Tablet (9%), Gaming Console (9%), Smart Watch (6%), Smart Speaker (6%), Latest 5G Smartphone (5%), VR Headset (4%), E-Reader (4%), Older smartphone model (4%), Drone (2%). 1% answered ‘other’ and 61% answered ‘none of the above’.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.