- New research from TalkTalk TV reveals Brits are yearning for a simpler life with over 3 in 5 (68%) saying life is unnecessarily complicated these days
- Over half of Brits (51%) consider themselves to be “faffers” with activities including 4.9 hours surfing internet at work; 24 minutes a day looking for the right TV remote and 1.8 hours deciding what to eat for dinner over the course of the week
- The average 18-34 year old is spending as much as 20 minutes just sitting on their bed staring into space before they get up
What was once ‘a simple life’ is now anything but. Britain spends more than a quarter of the year faffing and over half of Brits (51%) consider themselves to be ‘faffers’ – with Gen Z and Millennials being the standout culprits (21%). Brand new research by TalkTalk TV has found that Brits fritter away almost four hours a day doing seemingly unnecessary things, despite agreeing the ‘faffs’ of modern life mean they spend less time doing things they really enjoy.
A select few have devised cunning time-saving convenient ideas to simplify life and to cut down on lost hours, time-savers include: prepping dinner the night before (25%), cooking and freezing the Christmas dinner months in advance, using special techniques to fold the laundry in mere seconds, while 44% are choosing to wear clothes that don’t need to be ironed!
Parents, of course, are among those who really can’t afford to faff, with those precious minutes of silence used for self-love and relaxation time in front of the telly once the kids are off to bed - some even say they’ll encourage their children do the chores so they can kick back and relax. While almost 1 in 10 Brits suggest they spend over 10 hours a week on the loo to ensure some alone time.
Ferne McCann, busy celebrity Mum and TalkTalk TV ambassador admits “life has become so unnecessarily complicated, especially as a Mum, I always try my best to keep things super simple” and it comes as no surprise. Between filming a TV-show, raising a two year old, and running both a fashion and a nutrition business, Ferne’s life has understandably become a great balancing act.
Ferne McCann commented “Being mum to a two-year-old means those precious moments to myself are few and far between. One of my favourite ways of enjoying some me-time is unwinding in front of the telly, I love getting stuck into a good drama!”
Ferne isn’t alone, over two thirds (67%) of Brits think life is unnecessarily complicated. A quarter (25%) will spend an hour or more at work faffing around trying to get technology to work properly so when it comes to using tech at home it needs to make life simple. TV seems to be the most valued companion as over 1 in 5 (21%) commit at least 3 hours of our precious time to it on a typical weekday.
Watching TV isn’t always as easy as it should be, Brits spend more time faffing around just trying to connect devices to the TV (4.3 hours a week) than they do bathing (3.7 hours a week). Before we even settle down, a fifth of British adults spend an average of 24 minutes a day finding the right one out their FIVE remotes. This is the equivalent to 6.1 days in a year or 1.3 years across an average 80 year lifetime!
Will Ennett, TalkTalk’s Head of TV Content, said: “TalkTalk TV is the all-in-one, simple solution for people who want to watch all the content they love through one platform with one remote. Putting an end to the faff and inconvenience of constant device-switching, TalkTalk TV combines over 80 top channels with all the best on demand players and streaming services including Netflix and Prime Video. Plus with flexible access to the very best entertainment including Sky Sports, alongside the latest films and boxsets to rent and own, we’ve made it even easier for customers to only pay for what they want to watch when they want to watch it. It’s that simple.”