Would you rather live without food or TV? Would you rather not check Facebook for a day or not shower for a day? We polled the audience and asked them these questions and more. See how much Americans prefer their television, technology and the Internet in the infographics below.
Either $10,000 wasn't a sweet enough deal or people just couldn't stand the thought of living without their favorite television shows, but our participants were 2.3 times as likely to pick watching television over money. This led us to wonder, is there a price that would change people’s minds?
Eating only one food is bound to get old and put a strain on your social life, especially with our foodie culture, but visiting only one website could do the same. This potentially impossible question was one of the most polarizing we asked, with 42 percent of respondents choosing food and 58 percent choosing multiple websites. Food for thought: Which website or food would you choose?
We decided to hone in on millennials for this question – it stands to reason the young would value both a love life and their personal tech pretty highly, making the question especially tough. It turns out they were split pretty evenly in deciding between sex and technology. Overall, 48 percent of them chose to keep their devices and go celibate, whereas 52 percent of them opted to jettison their smartphones etc. in favor of keeping a sex life. The decision was especially tough for male millenials, with the results showing an exact 50/50 split. The question proved slightly easier for female millenials, who veered in favor of tech over sex: 57 percent of them preferred their devices. Note that some survey recipients didn't give their gender (which was an optional question) and are therefore not included in the gender breakdown of these results, but they are represented in the general sample.
It’s often rumored that millennials are becoming disenchanted with Facebook, though solid data points aren’t always easy to come by, which is why we decided to isolate millennials here too. Say what you will about the so-called “me” generation, but it turns out a whopping 90% of them would rather give Facebook up for a day than a shower. It's good to know that personal hygiene trumps creeping through acquaintances' vacation photos and stalking exes.
Hot water versus Internet was an interesting one. Both are unquestionably important in our day-to-day lives. Could you imagine an artic shower every morning? Nothing could be worse. Then again, could you imagine not being able to check your emails, the weather, and Facebook before getting into that shower? Which is more important? For us at The Connectivist this was actually one of the easiest questions. We’d rather have Internet, hands down. But our results showed that 61 percent surveyed were in favor of hot water and just 39 percent opted for the Internet. People aged 40 plus were understandably more likely to prefer hot water at 78 percent.