Australians love technology: survey

Life is speeding up for Australians as they make more use of technology, according to a recent survey.

The research, conducted by HotHouse Interactive, found that more than 97 percent of respondents embraced technology, allowing them to do more in a shorter space of time.

Of those surveyed, more than 69 percent said that they thought this fast-paced life was a good thing.

Simon van Wyk, managing director at HotHouse Interactive, told iTnews that once you thought about it, it made a lot of sense that the people who responded to the survey embraced technology, because they were generally in demanding jobs.

He said that many people now couldn't contemplate life without the internet, for example. "Look at how we all turned to the internet to check for the very latest news on the Boxing Day tsunamis, and how online donations and SMS made giving to the appeals convenient and effortless," van Wyk said.

"These are people who use the internet as part of their daily lives -- if they're looking to buy or research something they go to the internet," he said.

"Part of the reasons the pace of life hasn't got on top of them is that technology has helped them do things quicker...internet and email has in fact made life liveable despite the fact we are now moving at a faster pace."

In this month's survey Hothouse Interactive also asked respondents about their views on SMS viruses. "Most people have heard of them but almost no one had had one," van Wyk said. "I don't think they have had as much publicity, and are not as insidious as email viruses yet -- people are only concerned when it happens to them or someone they know.

"A couple of months ago we [surveyed respondents] about viruses, privacy issues, and spyware and there was definitely a concern," he said. "Most people had concerns about it and most people had had some problem with it."

He also believes that technology is changing the way people socialise. "The popularity of online communication for social purposes is now so high that it rivals the more conventional mediums such as snail mail and telephone," he said.

"Just think how many online greeting cards and SMS messages you sent out over the Christmas period.

"There were a number of people who used the internet to connect with people both here and overseas, it went beyond dating sites," he said. "Business networking sites are springing up -- people are starting to use those and use those effectively."

van Wyk said that the company surveyed about 3500 people for its monthly survey, mainly in IT, marketing and senior business decision-makers.