Lifeon

Demand:
Howtechnologyis
transformingdailylife
Contents
5.INTRODUCTION
7.SUMMARYOFKEYFINDINGS
9.THEFULLRESEARCHFINDINGS
10.Aquietrevolution:Howthetransformationofdailylifesnuckuponus
11.Ourdevicesareanextensionofus
14.Lifeondemand:Anewwayofliving
16.Thereinventionoftheworkday
20.Thecommute:Thenewproductivityzone
21.Theubiquityofplay:Wereplayingeverywheretoo
24.Theubiquityoffriends:Weresocial-isingeverywhere
26.App-tivity:Weredoingitallwithapps
28.Anewerainlifemanagement
30.Welovebeingconnectedbutwerealsolearningtolookup
31.Werereadyforafuturewithmoretechnology
33.WHATNEXT
34.Expertsrefectonthefndings
37.THEFUTURE
38.Whattheforecasterspredict
40.AFINALWORDFROMTHEAUTHORS
1.
Introduction.
In2008trendforecastersTheFutureLabpredicted
aphenomenonwheretechnologywouldallowusto
seamlesslyblendbusinessandleisure.Dubbedbleisure,
theideaseemedalittlefar-fetchedinaworldthatwas
stillonlyatthebeginningofthemass-marketsmartphone
andtabletrevolution.Thepracticeofusingsmartmobile
devicestodoeverythingrelatedtoourwork,personaland
socialliveswasstillfarfromamainstreamreality.
Fast-forwardto2014andsomuchhaschangedits
asifdecadesratherthanameresixyears-have
passed.Seventy-sixpercentofAustraliansnowusea
smartphoneand45%useatablet
i
andtherearemore
mobileservicesinoperationinAustralia-31.09million
ii

thanpeople.
Butwhatimpactistheexplosioninthenumberofsmart
devicesandtechnologymorebroadlyhavingonhow
welive?Isthisconceptofbleisuretheblendingofwork
andplayagenuinereality?Andforwhom?Whatdoes
itmeanforthetraditionalboundariesbetweenwork,
personalandsociallife?Howhavedeviceschangedthe
waywework?Howhavetheychangedthewayweplay?
TofndoutMicrosoftincollaborationwithglobal
researchfrmIpsosconductedaquantitativesurveyof
1027Australiansaged18-65
iii
.Researchersalsodrewon
ongoingqualitativeresearchfromTheIpsosMind&Mood
Reportforfurtherinsightsonhowpeoplefeeltechnology
ischangingtheirlives.
i. Source:BespokequantitativesurveyconductedinMay2014byIpsosMediaCTforthiswhitepaper,amongstanationally
representativesampleof1027Australiansaged18-65years.
ii.ACMACommunicationsReport2012-2013,fguresatJune2013
iii.RespondentsweredrawnfromIpsosproprietaryonlineconsumerresearchpanel,MyView
LIFEONDEMAND:
Thetransformationofdailylife
Summaryofkeyfndings
Ithasbeenwidelyreportedthattechnologyhastaken
overourlives,andwerebattlingtostayincontrolof
everythingweneedtogetdonerightnow.Whenwe
startedonthisresearchjourneythatswhatwe
believedtoo-andthatonlyasmallpercentageofthe
populationwereincontroloftheirblendedworkand
leisuretime.Buttheresultsshowthissimplyisnottrue.
Australiansacrossallagegroupsanddemographics
aremastersoftheirtechnologyandtheirtime.
Workandplayarecompletelyinterchangeable
nomatterwhattimeitis,wemaximiseeveryspare
moment,whetheritsforlifeadmin,workorleisure.
30%ofAussiesarecheckingworkemailsondevicesat
homebeforetheyleaveforwork,23%aredoingwork
activitieswhiletheyaresocialisingwiththeirfriends.
44%aredoingworkactivitiesafterworkathomeand
38%areworkingontheweekend.
Butallthatworkisnotattheexpenseofourleisure.
53%ofAustraliansplaywhileatwork,dippinginand
outofgaming,watchingvideos,onlineshopping,
browsingblogs/mediaandcheckingorupdating
socialmedia.
Ourtechnologyhasbecomeaconstantextension
ofus,whereverweareacompletedeparture
fromthewaywelivedlifeaslittleasfveyearsago.
Socialcontextandlocationnolongerdeterminewhat
wedo.Twothirdsofpeopleuseproductivityapps
togetthingsdonethroughouttheirdayand3/4of
Aussiesbelievetechnologyhasmadetheirlifeeasier.
Despitetechnologybeingembeddedintoourdaily
lifealready,anoverwhelmingmajoritythinkthat
theresstillroomformore.Inthenexttenyears40%of
Australiansbelievewellbeusingembeddedwearables
tomonitorourhealthandwell-beingandoneinthree
believewewonthavetogointotheoffceanymore.
Werestartingtoseesocietyquestionthecultural
normsaroundpresentee-ismtheneedtobehighly
visibleatworktosignifythatyouarecontributing.
Flexible,collegiatewaysofworkingareerodingthe
commandandcontrolstylerelationshipsbetween
managersandteammembersthathavebeen
commonplaceintheworkplaceuntilnow.Asaresult,
wellstarttoseegreateremphasisontrust,autonomy,
andaccountabilityinwork,asexemplifedbyfexible
workstylesandpractices.
Thefutureworkspacewillevolvetoprovideamixof
environmentssuitablefordifferenttypesofwork.Itwill
looklesslikeatraditionaloffceandinsteadembrace
infuencesfromourhomelivesandplaceswherewe
relaxandplay,suchasthelocalcaf.Indeed,future
workspacesmaynotevenbeanoffce,foran
increasinglymobileworkforce,itwillbewhereverbest
enablesthejobtogetdone.Socialmedianetworks
willbecomeincreasinglyprevalentinthework
environmentasorganisationscontinuetoappreciate
thevaluederivedfromsocialnetworkinginour
personallivesandapplyingittogetacompetitive
advantageinacorporatecontext.Inthisversionof
thefutureoffce,networkswillbeusedtoharnessthe
wisdomofthecrowdtosolveproblems,offerreal-time
feedback,shareideas,co-createproductsandimprove
socialandculturalcohesion.
Technologyhasempoweredandliberatedustodo
anything,anywhere,anytimebutthisnewfreedom
andfexibilityalsohasitsgrowingpains,challenging
socialandculturalnormsaboutwhatitmeanstobe
presentandfocusedonthehereandnow.Afteran
intenselyrapidperiodofadoptionofdeviceswere
enteringamorerefectivephase.Weneeddevicesand
servicesthatgivethefexibilitytomovefromonepart
ofourlifetothenext,butwerealsolearninghowto
adapttothisnewwayoflivingandnegotiatesome
tech-etiquettearoundtheroleoftechnologyinour
lives.Anhonourable79%believeitsrudetotextor
useyourphonewhenoutwithfriends,while71%get
irritatedwhenfamily/friendsusetheirphoneswhen
theyaretalkingtothem.
Millennialsor18-35yearolds,thegrouplivingthe
mostextremeLifeonDemand,arespearheadingthe
callforanewphaseintech-etiquettewithoneinfve
imposingano-contacttime-outeachweektohelp
themswitchoffandthesamenumberdoingsome
formofmediationtohelpthempowerdown.
LifeonDemandisarealityforeverydayAustralians.
Thiswhitepaperpaintsavividpictureofexactlywhat
thisnewwayoflivinglookslike,andalsoexploreswhat
liesaheadtoponderthewaystechnologywillcontinue
totransformourlives.
TheFull
Research
Findings.
2.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 10
Theresultsofthissurveyrevealthatthewaymost
Australiansconducttheirday-to-dayliveshasbeen
transformed.Smartdevicesarenowourconstant
companionsandmuchofwhatwedoinourdaily
livesinvolvessomekindofinteractionwiththem.
Thisisthecasenomatterwhereweare,whattimeit
is,whowerewithorwhatelseweredoing.Theyhave
becomeembeddedintodailylifeandmanycant
imaginelivingwithoutthem.Theabilitytoaccessthe
worldandeveryoneweknowfromadeviceinour
pocketfeelslikethemostnormalandnaturalthing
now,amereutilitythatwehavearightto,rather
thantherelativelyrecenttechnologicalandsocial
phenomenonthatitreallyis.
Wenowhavetheworldsknowledgeatourfngertips
andtheabilitytoconnectwithanyoneandeveryone
atwill.Thereis,however,anotherfacettothismobile
revolutionanditsreinventinghowweliveourdaily
livesbybringingallofourworlds-work,personaland
social-previouslyseparateandcompartmentalised
togetherintotheonenewspace.
Now,withourdevices,weareconstantlypluggedinto
allofourworlds,dippinginandoutofthemanywhere,
anytime,constantlythroughouttheday,resultingin
-astheresearchfndingsreveal-anewwayofliving
wheretheoncefrmboundariesthathavebeenin
placesincetheindustrialrevolutionarebeginningto
becomelessrelevant.Wearewitnessingthebeginning
oftheendofrigiddivisionsbetweenwork&play,
andwork&personal,aswehaveknownthemfor
thelast150years.
Itshappenedsoquickly,seamlesslyandnaturally
thatitsdiffculttorememberwhatlifewaslikebefore.
Itsthequietrevolutionthatliterallysnuckuponus.
AQUIETREVOLUTION:
Howthetransformationofdailylifesnuckuponus
Imconnectedtoworkandsociallifeallthetime.
Whenaskedtorefectonhowdevicesandmore
broadly,technology,hadchangedtheirlivesinthe
lastfvetotenyears,Australianswereclearabouthow
centralithadbecome.
Icantimaginelifewithoutit.
ItsamazinghowIcantlivewithouttechnologynow.
ThereareveryfewtimesinthedaywhenIamnot
usingsomesortoftechnology,whetheritsmyphone
orlaptop.
Somecouldhardlybelievehowdifferenttheirlives
werenow.
Icantseemyselfwithouttechnologyforanextended
periodoftime,whereas10yearsagoIdidnteven
haveaphone.
Ivegonefromnearlynotechnologytousingitfor
justabouteverything.
Use at least one mobile
device (smartphone,
tablet or laptop)
93%
AlmostallAustraliansusesomeformof
mobiletechnology
Almost everyone uses at
least one smart device
(phone or tablet)
82%
Andtheylovetheirsmartdevices
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 11
OURDEVICESAREANEXTENSIONOFUS
Mysmartphoneisattachedtome.Ifeeloddwithoutit.
Assmartdeviceshavechangedhowwelive,allowing
ustostaypluggedintoourwork,socialandpersonal
worldsconstantlythroughouttheday,ourattachment
tothemhasgrown.
Formany,deviceshavebecomemuchmorethanjust
minicomputersandmobilegatewaystotheInternet.
Withsomuchofourlivesfromourbankaccountto
ourbestfriend,motherandboss-accessedthrough
devicesandsomuchofourpersonalexperiences
andmemoriesstoredonthemintheformofphotos,
videos,emailsandtexts,theyhavebecome
super-chargedwithvalueandmeaning.Soitshardly
surprisingthatmanyreportfeelingastrongemotional
andpsychologicalattachmenttothem.
Manydiscusstheirdevices,smartphonesparticularly,
asmuchmorethanjusttoolsorappliances,butas
extensionsofthemselves.
IfeellikesomethingismissingwhenIdonthavemy
phonewithme.
Couldntlivewithoutmysmartphoneandtablet.
Ifeellostwithoutthem.
Participantsalsodescribedtheirdevicesasrepositories
ofeverythingthatisimportantandvaluablein
theirlives.
Ihaveeverythingonmyphone,doeverythingwith
it.Ifllostit,Iwouldlosemylife.
Mywholelifeisonmyphone-banking,contacts,
calendars/reminders.Iwouldbelostwithoutit.
Othersfeltempoweredbyhavingaccesstotheworld
intheirpockets.
Icouldntlivewithoutmyphoneandinstantaneous
InternetaccesswhereverIam.
It[smartphone]hasgrantedmeaninfnitewealthof
informationinthepalmofmyhand.
Panic when their smartphone battery
is low when they are out and about
41%
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 12
Has
Facebook
friends
107
Spends
commuting to
and from work each day
48 mins
Has
connections
on LinkedIn
18
Has
downloaded onto their
smartphone
21 apps
Sleeps
a night /
8.4 hours on the
weekend
7.9 hours
Spends
on the internet
a week
17.5 hours
Asnapshotoftheaverage*Australian
*AverageAustralianworkingorstudying
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 13
Take a power nap to
recharge their batteries
for the day
1 in 2
Carry their smartphone
charger / portable
battery with them
on the go
1 in 3
Drink multiple cups
of coffee in a day to
keep them going
2 in 5
Exercise weekly
7 in 10
Busyisthenewnormal:Howwerekeepingupwithitall
OnedeviceisnotenoughformanyAustralians
Use both a
smartphone and a tablet
39%
Use all three devices -
tablet, smartphone and a laptop
30%
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 14
Smartdeviceshavegivenustheabilitytodoalmost
anything,anytime,anywhere,creatinganewwayof
livingwherelocationandsocialcontextnolonger
determinewhatwedo.
Butwhatdoesanything,anytime,anywhere
actuallylooklike?Andwhatexactlyarewedoing
anytime,anywhere?
Tofndoutweaskedsurveyparticipantstotell
uswhattypesofthingstheydidontheirdevices
throughouttheday,startingfromwhentheywoke
uprightthroughtowhentheywenttobedatnight.
TheresultsrevealedthatAustraliansareindeedliving
lifeconstantlyinmotionandshreddingtheboundaries
betweenwork,personalandsociallifealongtheway.
Astheinfographicoppositeshows,workisnolonger
doneonlyatworkbutisnowcompletelyblended
intoourday.The9-5,MondaytoFridaywork/play
boundariesarebecominganoutdatedviewofour
workingweek.
LIFEONDEMAND:
Anewwayofliving
Imonmyphonecontinually,checkingmessages,checkingwork
emails,aquicktext.Idoeverythingontherun,itssoeasy.
Personalandorganisationaltasksandchoresare
doneeverywhere,includingatworkandwhile
outwithfriends.Bedhasbecomethenewleisure,
entertainmentandshoppingzone,andsotoohas
work.Connectingwithfriendsonsocialmediahas
becomea24/7activity,wherenolocationorsocial
contextisofflimits,includingatworkorwhileout
catchingupwithmates.Eventhedailycommuteto
workhasbeencompletelyreinventedastheplace
togetthingsdonefromworkandgroceryshopping
rightthroughtocatchinguponyourfavourite
TVseries.
58%believethattechnology
empowersthemtodowhatthey
want,whentheywant
Are doing organisational tasks on
their devices while theyre out socialising with
friends after work/study
1 in 4
Anything,anytime,anywhere:Locationandsocialcontextnolongerdetermineswhatwedo
Are using a smart device while in bed
to watch videos, surf the net, access
social media and shop
Half
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 15
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 16
THEREINVENTIONOFTHEWORKDAY
Technologyhaschangedmylifedramatically-Icandowork
relatedthingsnomatterwhereIam.
Theveryconceptoftheworkdayisbeingreinvented
bysmartmobiledevices.Workisnolongerdoneonly
atworkandtheextenttowhichworkhasinfltrated
otherareasofdailylifeisstartling.Whilemostwhite
collarworkers-70%-arestilldoingthemajorityof
theirworkfromtheoffce(and60%ofallworkers
doingthemajorityofworkfromtheirworkplace),there
isalmostnotime,placeorsocialcontextthatisoutof
boundsnowforpluggingintowork.Weredoingit
athomebeforework,onthecommute,athomeafter
work,whenwereoutwithfriends,ontheweekends
andeveninbed.
of Australians* are doing
work related tasks at
home in the morning
before leaving for
work/study
42%
are doing work/study
related tasks on
the weekend
38%
are doing work related
activities on their devices
while out socialising
with friends after
work/study
23%
are doing work related
activities when they get
home from work/study
44%
*AverageAustraliansworkingorstudying
Believe that
technology increases
their productivity
78%
Technologyhasmadeusmoreproductive
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 17
Thereareclearpayoffstostayingconnectedtowork,
accordingtoparticipants,includinggreaterfexibility
todootherthingsduringtraditionalworkhoursand
togetworkdonewhenitbestsuitsthem.Infact,
almosthalfbelievethattechnologyhashada
positiveimpactontheirabilitytocreatework/
lifebalance.
Astheseparticipantsstate,beingconstantlyconnected
toworkviatheirmobiledevicesfreedthemfrom
theoffce.
Idontneedtobeintheoffceallthetimeanymore.
Technologyhasmadeitpossibleformetowork
awayfromtheoffce.IfIdonthaveappointmentsin
theoffceIcanstillworkfromhomeorwhenImout
andabout.
Forothers,stayingconnectedtoworkhelpedthem
managetheirproductivityandeffciency-almosthalf
ofworking/studyingAustraliansbelievedthat
beingabletoaccessworkemailonthegoon
theirdevicesallowedthemstayontopoftheir
workloadandgetmoredone.
Use more than one
device at work
42%
Devicesaretransforminghowwe
workintheoffcetoo
Amongstthosewhoareworking(fullorpart-time)
Wererunningourownbusinessesonthego
Employeesarenttheonlyonesundergoinga
transformationbecauseofsmartmobiledevices.
Theself-employedarerunningtheirbusinesses
anywhere,anytimetoo.
31%ofself-employedworkersspendmore
timeworkingonthegoawayfromtheir
mainworkplace.
Icanrunmydanceschoolonthego.
Inowusemysmartphonetorunmy
businessremotely.
IhaveatabletandIrunmybusinessoffit.Idomy
emailsonit,Facebook.Idontusemylaptopmuch,
onlyforbookworknow.
Butdevicesarekeepingusconnectedtoplay
atworktoo
Devicesmaybekeepingusconnectedtowork
anywhere,anytimebuttheyrealsokeepingus
connectedtoplaywhilewereatwork.Forevery
momentemployeesspentonworkoutsideofthe
workplaceandtraditionalworkhours,theywere
alsodoingthereverse.Now,thankstosmartmobile
devices,moreandmoreplayandnon-work
activitiesarebeingdonewhileatwork.*
are doing activities that fall
into the leisure and
entertainment category at
work/study (such as
shopping, playing games, etc.)
41%
are doing organisationsal
activities at work/study
(such as online banking,
managing calendars and
making shopping lists)
41%
*AverageAustraliansworkingorstudying
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 18
Spend more than 28
hours a week online
33%
Use productivity
apps to help manage
their time
76%
Dont mind being
contactable by
work 24/7 (amongst those
working full or part-time)
39%
Drink energy drinks to
keep them going
30%
Does some form of
meditation to help
them unplug
1 in 5
Takes a self-imposed
no-phone, no contact
time out
1 in 5
Asnapshotoftheaverage18-35yearold
The18-35sarethemastersofblendingworkandplay
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 20
THECOMMUTE:THENEWPRODUCTIVITYZONE
Imonmyphoneallthetimeonthebus.Facebookismyget
throughthebustripmentality.
Gonearethedayswhendaydreamingorreadinga
bookweretheonlyactivitiesappropriateduringthe
dailycommuteonpublictransporttoandfromwork.
TheaverageAustralian(workingorstudying)spends
48minutesadaycommutinganddeviceshave
enabledthosewhotakepublictransporttoputtheir
timetogooduse,transformingthedailycommuteinto
animportantproductivityzonewheretheyregetting
allsortsoflifeadmintasksdone,aswellascatching
upwithfriendsonsocialmediaandwhatsbeengoing
oninthenews.
AmongstAustraliansworkingorstudying.
Are on social media
Are checking work/study emails
Are doing work/study related activities
Text or message friends
Play games
Watch video/TV content or shop online
Do online banking
Watch sport or check sport scores
Listen to music
Read news websites
Weredoingitallonthecommuteusingdevices*
*Amongstthosewhocommuteonpublictransport
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 21
THEUBIQUITYOFPLAY
WEREPLAYINGEVERYWHERE,TOO
Iusemysmartphoneforentertainment,Ireadbooks,play
gamesandwatchoverseasnewsonit.
Devicesmaybekeepingusconnectedtowork,but
theyrealsokeepingusconnectedtoplay-even
atwork.Wecannowdipinandoutofleisureand
entertainmentactivitieswheneverwehaveaspare
moment,nomatterwhereweare.Playandleisure
arenowaubiquitouspartofdailylife.
46%
60%
41%
73%
35%
74%
Before
work
On the
commute*
At work Home
after work
Out after work Weekends
The percentage of Australians (working or studying) using their devices at different times of the day for play & leisure
What were doing for play on our devices:
Where were playing on our devices.
listening to music
online shopping
checking sports scores
playing games
watching video
reading media/news sites & blogs

Devicesarekeepingusconstantlypluggedintoplay,nomatterwhereweare
Play games on their
smartphone / tablet daily 32%
*Amongstthosewhousepublictransport
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 22
Butitsnotallaboutplay,technologyisalso
enrichinghowweconnectandlearn
Manystudyparticipantsfeltthattheirdevicesand
morebroadlytechnologyandtheInternethad
greatlyenrichedtheirlivesbybecomingtoolsfor
learninganddiscoveryandformakingnewand
meaningfulconnections.
Technologyhasenabledmetomakerich,deep
connectionswithpeoplearoundtheworldthatI
wouldneverhavemetotherwise.Itsalsoenabledme
toresearchandlearnaboutsubjectsinmyownway
andatmyownpace.
Ithasexpandedmyhobbies,artsandcrafts.Iuseit
ineveryaspectofmylife.ManyofthehobbiesIdo
couldnotbedonenowwithoutaccesstotechnology.
Youplaygameswithpeopleyouvenevermetonline
andtheydevelopintodeepfriendships.Wevegot
friendsallaroundtheworldnow.
AnditsnotjustworkingAustraliansthatareusing
technologyforplayandlearningretireesaretoo.
Use their device to
shop online
during the day
33%
Use their devices to do
leisure & entertainment
activities during the day
54%
Stay in contact with
friends and family via
text message
41%
Are on
social media
during the day
48%
Use their device to
check emails
during the day
30%
Are using their devices
to play games
during the day
1 in 5
*Retireesagedupto65years.
Retirees*areembracingtechnologyas
partoftheirleisuretime
Ageisnobarrierwhenitcomestotechnology,withretireesembracingmobiledevices
todoeverythingfromshoponlineandplaygamesthroughouttheday.
Technologyhasabsolutelychangedmylife-Imretirednowandits80%ofmyrecreationtime.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 23
Watch TV daily
(all formats)
81%
Read a book
weekly (hard copy
or digital)
48%
Hit the shops weekly
for a dose of retail
therapy (bricks &
mortar and online,
excluding grocery)
60%
Eat out at least
once a week
37%
Go out to socialise
with friends and family
at least once a week
53%
Play games on a
gaming console at
least once a week
23%
Attend a live
sporting event at
least once a month
21%
Go to the
cinema at least
once a month
30%
Weloveourdevicesbutwerestilldoingallofthethingsweusedto
doforfun
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 24
THEUBIQUITYOFFRIENDS
WERESOCIAL-ISINGEVERYWHERE
ThefrstthingIdowhenIwakeupisgetonmyphoneandcheck
socialmedia.AtworkIllhavethesmartphoneonthewholetime,
ImalwayscheckingFacebook.
Connectingwithfriendsandfamilyisnolonger
somethingwedoonlyinoursparetime.
Wereconnectingtothemonsocialmediaandvia
textmessage/messagingapps24/7,nomatterwhere
weare,whowerewithorwhatelseweredoing.
Thisneweraofubiquitoussocialmediaand
messaginghasturnedtheveryconceptofsociallife
onitshead.Almosteveryplaceandspaceincluding
theoffce,thebusandourbedshavebecomezones
forsocialising.*
Agree that they communicate much more
often with their friends, family or partner because
of social media & text/messaging apps
50%
Technologyhasmadeusmoresocial
of 18-65 year-olds are active
on at least one social media platform
74%
are on social media
at home before they
leave for work/study
41%
text/use messaging
apps to communicate
with friends/family
while at work/study
32%
are on social media
while at work/study 32%
are on social media
while theyre out after
work/study with
real friends
29%
are on social media
(amongst other leisure
activities on phone or
tablet) in bed
45%
*AmongstaverageAustraliansworkingorstudying
5
6
-
6
5

y
e
a
r
-
o
l
d
s
2
6
-
3
5

y
e
a
r
-
o
l
d
s
4
6
-
5
5

y
e
a
r
-
o
l
d
s
88% 239
29
59
13
37%
45%
26%
1
8
-
2
5

y
e
a
r
-
o
l
d
s
83% 146
24
17
22
39%
31%
37%
3
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-
4
5

y
e
a
r
-
o
l
d
s76% 85
9
9
23
25%
19%
33%
67% 51
6
1
14
19%
7%
25%
57% 37
1
1
14
18%
7%
26%
= Average number of friends /
followers / connections
% of population in each age group
on each social media platform.
Socialmediareportcard:HowconnectedareAustralians?
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 26
APP-TIVITY:WEREDOINGITALLWITHAPPS
Everyonehasachore.Ivedownloadedanapp,everyonehasaday
forwashingthedishes,thenthecleaningofdifferentroomsrotates.
Appshavebecomeanessentialelementofdigital
life,movingfarbeyondactingassimpleshortcuts
tospecifconlinedestinationssuchasourbankand
Facebookpage.Appshavebecomeessentialtools
Use apps for grocery shopping
(planning, making lists, shopping)
Use health and fitness apps
Use gaming apps
(games for them, not their kids)
Use messaging apps
Use music apps
Use banking apps
Typesofappstheyareusing:
Apps on their
tablet
24
Apps on their
laptop
9
Apps on their
smartphone
21
TheaverageAustralianhas:
Appsdownloaded,thatdidnotcomepre-installedwiththedevice.
thatextendtheutilityofdevicesinamyriadofways,
includinghelpingustoincreaseproductivityandhelp
organiseourlives,monitorourftnessandwellbeing,
andamuseourselves.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 27
Manystillmarvelatthekindsofthingstheywereable
todowithappsfromtuningintoglobalmedia
toorganisingtheirshoppingandmanagingthe
householdchores.
OnmyphoneIvegotthisappcalledTuneInRadio
andIlistentoitalldayatwork.Thereare50,000
stationsandIjustpickthemusicIwantanditonly
playsthatgenreofmusicallday.Itsawesome.
71% 32% 68% 32% 60% 41% 78% 41%
On social media
during the day
Stay-at-home mums Average working or studying Australian
(refers to activities done during work hours)
Stay in contact with
friends via text/
messaging apps
during the day
Do organisational
activities on devices
during the day
Use devices to do
leisure/entertainment
activities during the day
Stay-at-homemumsaresuperconnected
Smartdevicesareessentialtothedailylifeofstay-at-homemums,whoareusingthemto
stayconnectedtotheirsocialworld,organisethefamilyandweaveabitofleisureandplay
intodailylife.
Ibuyalotofthingsonlinenow.Ispendmoretimeonlinethesedays.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 28
Believe that technology makes their life easier
Use productivity apps*
Believe that being able to do tasks like paying bills at home
or during the commute saves them time for other things
Technologyboostsourproductivity
*Amongstthosewhousedevices(laptop,smartphoneortablet).Productivityappsincludebanking,transport,
expenseandbudget,etc
ANEWERAINLIFEMANAGEMENT
Iorganisemylifeusingreminders/calendaronmydevices.
Withsomuchinformationandcommunicationcoming
atusthroughoutthedayfromFacebookmessages
andtextstoworkemails,calendarnotifcationsandthe
newsletterswesubscribetofromourfavouriteblogs-
theneedtomanageitallhasincreasedexponentially.
Manyparticipantsfeltthatsmartdeviceshadgreatly
enhancedtheirabilitytomanagetheirlivesbybringing
alloftheirworldstogetherintotheonenervecentre.
Myphonebasicallyorganisesmylife.Ilovehaving
allmyemailsinonespot,mycalendarssynched.
Therewasverylittlethatparticipantswerentdoingon
theirsmartphones.
Ihavenohomephoneandrarelyusemylaptop
mysmartphonedoesitallwhereverIam.
Iusemyphoneforeverything[online].Itspretty
muchacomputer.Ionlyusemylaptopforstudy.
Stayingorganisedwasnttheonlybeneftdiscussed
byparticipants.Themajoritybelievedthattechnology,
morebroadly,hadnotonlymadetheirliveseasier,but
moreproductivebothathomeandatwork.
Ontheworkandstudyfront,technologyhelped
participantsworkmoreeffciently.
Technologyhasenabledmetoworkfaster
andsmarter.
Imfaster,moreorganised.
Itsallowedmetostudymoreeffciently.
Onapersonallevel,themajoritybelievedthat
technologysavedthemtimeonthetediousbut
necessarychoresofdailylife,whichtheybelieved
helpedthemreclaimtimeforleisureandplay.
Itallowsmetodothingsmoreeasilyandinshorter
framesoftime,lettingmespendmoretimedoing
whatIwantwiththepeopleIwant.
Itscreatedmoretimeforleisureactivitiesbecause
workcanbedonemorequicklyviatechnology.
Technologyhasfreedupmytimefromrunning
errands,Icandoallofthatathomenow.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 29
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 30
WELOVEBEINGCONNECTEDBUTWEAREALSO
LEARNINGTOLOOKUP
Iamconstantlypluggedinnow,Imconstantlyconnected.
Theriseandriseofsmartdevicesalsohassome
downsidestoo,accordingtostudyparticipants.
Afteranincrediblyfastrateofadoptionandwhat
couldbedescribedasaperiodofenthusiasticbinging
ondevices,wherewejustcouldntseemtoget
enoughofthem,somearestartingtotakeastepback
andrefectonthesocialandemotionalimpactofallof
thisscreentime.
Forsome,itwasthesheerubiquityofscreensthat
causedthemtofeelconficted,with35%reporting
thattheyfeltoverwhelmedwithallofthe
technologyintheirlivessometimes.
Themajority72%-alsofeltthatdeviceshad
createdacultureofrightnow,believingthat
othersexpectaninstantresponsetotheir
emailsandtexts.
Thesephoneshavechangedeverything.Itused
tobethatwhensomeonesentyouanemailthey
expectaresponsebytheendoftheday.Nowwhen
someonesendsyouanemailtheyexpectaresponse
straightaway.
Somefeltthatdevicescoulddistractthemfrombeing
trulypresentwhentheywerewithfamilyandfriends.
Thissentimentwasalsocapturedrecentlyinthehugely
popularvideo,LookUp.Acalltoarmsagainstthe
trendtowardslivinglifegluedtoscreens,thevideo
(whichhasbeenviewedmorethan45milliontimes-
atthetimeofwriting)pleadedforustolookupfrom
ourscreensandplugbackintotherealpeopleand
experiencesofthepresentmoment.
Themajorityofparticipantsinthestudymirrored
thissentiment,believingthatthetimehadcometo
developsomeetiquettearoundwhentousedevices.
Think its rude to text or use your
phone when out with friends
79%
ScreentimewasabigNONOwheninteracting
withfamilyandfriends.
Get irritated when family/friends use their
phones when theyre talking to them
71%
Itstimeforsometech-etiquette
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 31
WEREREADYFORAFUTUREWITH
MORETECHNOLOGY
IbelievethatinthenexttenyearsIwonthavetoleavethe
housetogotoworkordotheshoppingoranythingelse.
Withchangenowaconstantinourlives,manyare
wonderingwhatelsethefuturecouldpossiblyhold.
Despitetechnologybeingembeddedintoourdailylife
already,anoverwhelmingmajoritythinkthattheres
stillroomformore,with79%believingthatwe
willbecomemoredependentonitinthefuture.
Anditsgoingtobeabrightfuture,accordingto
morethanhalf,whosaytheyareexcitedaboutthe
futureoftechnology.
Whenaskedtoponderwhatwasinstoreforthe
future;participantsimaginedalifewithevenmore
fexibility,mobilityandconnectivity.
32%
54%
Believe we wont have to go to the
office anymore to work
Believe that home appliances will be
remotely accessible by the internet
Believe we will use embedded wearables to
monitor our health & wellbeing
Believe that cash and credit cards
will be a thing of the past
WhatelsedoAustraliansbelieveliesaheadinthenexttenyears?
IllbeabletoworkwhenandwhereIpleasethrough
remoteconnectionwhichwillbecomearealitywith
betterdataspeedsandconnectivityofsmartdevices.
Alotofthingswillbeabletobedoneremotely
andlessneedtogooutsideyourhomeexceptfor
socialising.Wewillworkwithpeoplearoundthe
worldinsteadofjustinthecountry.Techwillmakelife
easier,everythingmoreconnected.
Iwillbeabletobemoremobileandstillbein
completeaccessandcommunicationwitheverything
andeveryone.Wellrelyontechnologyforeverything
inlife.
What
Next.
3.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 34
WHATNEXT:
Expertsrefectonthefndings
SowhatdoesthenewLifeOnDemandculturemeanforthe
futureofworkandplayandsocietyatlarge?
StevenMiller
HeadofMicrosoftOffceDivision,Microsoft
WhiletheriseofLifeonDemanddidntsurpriseSteven
Miller,thesheerrangeofwhatpeopleweredoing24/7
did.Oneofthemostinterestingthingsaboutthese
fndingsistheamazingarrayofactivitiespeopleare
doingontheirdevices,hesays.Theywork,play,talk,
create,share,collaborate,research,watch,listen,they
managethelistgoeson.Whenyouthinkaboutit,
thisisasignifcantdeparturefromhowwelivedlife
intheveryrecentpast,wherepeoplesactivitieswere
predictablytiedtospecifctimesandplacesandwhere
theyusedspecifcdevicesforspecifctasks,hesays.
Ourdeviceshavebecomemuchmorethanjust
utilityproducts,theyrethenervecentresofour
lives,hecontinues.Millerbelievesthatdeviceshave
alsodemocratisedtechnologyinwayswecould
onlyhavedreamedaboutinthepast.Inyearsgone
by,technologycompaniesdesignedsoftwareand
hardwaretailoredspecifcallyforparticulartypesof
consumersbutthegrowthofdevicesasmassmarket
lifestyletoolshasmeantthatlabelshavebecome
irrelevant.Wemakestuffforpeople,Millerexplains.
Notoffceworkers,consumers,ITProsordevelopers.
Justpeoplewhoare,moreandmore,integrating
technologyintoallpartsoftheirlives.Technologyisnt
justatoolanymore,itsafacetofmodernlife.
Milleralsobelievesthatthejoboftechnologyinthe
futureistofndinnovativeandcreativenewwaysto
enhancethissenseofseamlessnessthatpeopleare
embracingintheirlives.Peoplemovefuidlybetween
activities,withoutchangingwhotheyare,fromminute
tominute,hesays.Wewantourdevicestowork
harderforussowecangetmoreoutofourday,
itsaboutpickingupwhereyouleftoffwithfriends,
familyandwork-anditsinterchangeable.
Theexplosionofsmartdevicesisntjustchanginghow
welive,Millersays.Ithasalsohasmajorimplications
forcreativity,particularlyviaapps.Itsbeen
fascinatingtoseehowpeoplearestartingtounlock
thecreativepotentialoftheirdevices,heexplains.
Thebigcategoriesthatweveseensofarinapps
areentertainment/games,organisation/productivity
andhealthbutIthinkwevereallyonlyscratchedthe
surfaceofwhatwecandowithourdevicesusingapps.
Appsandsoftwarecantransformourdevicesinto
almostanythingandthepossibilitiesforourpersonal
creativityareendless.Theyhavethepotentialto
transformourdevicesintoakindofartiststoolkitof
thefuture.
Asatechnologycompany,abigpartofourjobis
aboutimaginingthefuture,aboutanticipatingwhere
peoplewillwanttogonext.Thatswhywehavesuch
abroadinnovationanddeveloperagenda.Wewatch
howpeoplenavigatetheirdayandworktoremove
thefrictionandfrustrationsthatkeepthemfromdoing
evenmoreinboththeirpersonalandprofessional
lives.Andtheyneedservicesthatfollowthem
throughouttheirday,whereverittakesthem.
Therelationshipwehavewithourdevicesis
constantlyevolvingandweredesigningthe
softwareoftomorrowtoenablepeopletoharness
allthepossibilitiesattheirfngertips.Thebalancewe
individuallyfndwithtechnologyispersonaltoourown
individualneedswhichiswhyweneedtocreateauser
experienceyoucanmakeuniquelyyouandftinto
yourincreasinglyfuidlife.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 35
JessScully
Curator,VividIdeasandTedEx
MuchlikeMicrosoftsStevenMiller,curatorJessScully,
whoispartoftheteambehindtheVividIdeasand
TedXeventsinSydney,believesthatsmartdevices
havethepotentialtoincreaseourcreativity.Andnot
justforcreativetypes,butforeverydaypeopleby
puttingthetoolsofcreationineveryonespockets.
Ithinkthatthisexplosioninsmartdevicesiscreating
thefoundationforustomovefromaconsumption
modeltoacreativeone.Ourdeviceswontjustbe
aboutconsumingdata,shesays.
Weregoingtoseemorecreativetoolsintheformof
apps,thatextendtheutilityofdevicessotheybecome
instrumentsforcreativityratherthanjustinstruments
ofbroadcastandconsumption.Inthisway,they
becomedevicesofcreation,notjustcommunication.
Thebeautyofapps,shebelieves,isthattheyhavethe
potentialtosimplifycomplextechnologies,making
themaccessibleinwayswecouldnothaveimagined
inthepast.Appsprovideuswithtoolswithsimple
interfacesthatareintuitive,allowingustodothings
thatpreviouslyonlyexpertscoulddo,shesays.
FoadFadaghi
ManagingDirector,Telsyte
Thedegreetowhichtechnologyhasbecome
embeddedintodailylifecomesasnosurpriseto
analystFoadFadaghi,whoheadstheAustralian
technologyresearchfrmTelsyte.Onceyoure
connected,theresnogoingback,hesays.
Astechnologyadvances,thelinesbetweenthe
differentpartsofourlivesaregoingtobecome
moreblurred.
Fadaghibelievesthattheblurringofboundaries
aroundworkhavefacilitatedawholenewand
excitingeraofcollaborationforbusiness.Icanwork
withpeopleinsay,SanFrancisco,anytime,itsso
seamless.Technologyisallowingustobeeverywhere
atonce,nomatterwhattimeofdayitishereor
inanothercountryorwherewehappentobe,
hesays.Onceonlymultinationalscouldcollaborate
onaglobalscaleforbusinesslikethis.Nowany
kidwithadevicecanconnectwithotherpeople
aroundtheworldtoshareideasandcreatenew
things.Theimplicationsforhowwedobusinessand
innovationarehuge.
Butliketheparticipantsinthestudy,Fadaghibelieves
thatthetimehascometoimposeadegreeof
self-regulationonouruseofdevices.Youcan
understandifpeoplefeeloverwhelmedbytechnology
sometimes,heexplains.Youhavetoconsciously
switchoffbecausewerealwaysconnectedbydefault
now.Whereasinthepastitwasthereversewehad
toconsciouslyswitchon.Youhadtositdownand
bootupthecomputerandconsciouslyconnecttothe
Internet.Now,whenyoucomehomeattheendof
thedayyouhavetoconsciouslychoosetoswitchoff,
toputthephonedownandwatchthesunsetorreada
bookinstead.
The
Future.
4.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 38
WHATTHEEXPERTSPREDICT:
InterviewwithtrendforecastersTheFutureLaboratory
Technologyisalreadyanintegralpartofourlives
andwerecertainlyreadyformore,accordingtothe
researchfndings,butwhatdotheexpertsbelieve
liesahead?
Weaskedtrendforecasters,FutureLaboratory,who
frstpredictedtheBleisuretrendin2008,whatthekey
trendsareforthefuture.
Howdoyouthinkbleisurewillevolvein
thefuture?
Thesignifcanceofbleisureisgrowing.Itbegan
withhabitssuchascheckingworkemailsathome
andhomeemailsatwork,butnowthesekindsof
behavioursarepermeatinghowwework,wherewe
work,andwhatwethinkofaswork.
Werestartingtoseetheculturalnormsaround
presentee-ismbeinghighlyvisibleatworktosignify
thatyouarecontributingfadingintheBleisure
era.Bleisureandfexible,collegiatewaysofworking
areerodingtheparent-childstylerelationships
betweenmanagersandteammembersthathave
beencommonplaceintheworkplaceuntilnow.Asa
result,wellseegreaterlevelsoftrust,autonomy,
andaccountabilityinwork,asexemplifedbythe
fexiblepatterns.
Howdoyouthinkpeoplearecopingwith
ubiquitousconnection?
Aswithanytrendthatadvancesquicklyuponus,there
aregrowingpains.Werecentlylookedathowpeople
wereseekingcontemplativespacesatworkand
yearningfordigitaldowntime;meanwhiledesigners
arefacilitatingthiswithcoldspotsinoffcesand
makingWiFiunavailable.Theriseofmindfulnessasa
movementsignifesthatsomepeoplefnditdiffcult
toswitchoff.Whil.com,asitebyLululemonfounders
ChipandShannonWilson,isdesignedtohelppeople
toturnofftheirbrainsfor60secondsbyvisualisinga
dot.ThetaglineforthesitePowerdown,powerup
andpowerforwardplacesemphasisonmeditation,
whichenablespeopletobecomemoreproductive
andactive.
Whatdoyouforecastfortheworldofwork?
Whenyoulookatthemostprogressiveworkspace
designs,veryfewofthemlooklikeoffces.Wewill
alwayshavebuildingsthatprovidequietareasfor
focusedthought,butincreasinglyzonedareasinwhich
workerscanalternatebetweenbusinessandleisure
willbecomethemainstay.Thefutureworkspacewill
looklesslikeanoffceandmorelikeamulti-purpose
apartmentorleisurepark.Socialmedianetworkswill
becomebleisuritebusinesstoolsasweturntoopen
andclosednetworkstomanageourincreasingly
blurredoffceandleisureroutines.Inthisversionofthe
futureoffcenetworkswillbeusedtoofferfeedback,
shareideas,co-createproductsandimprovesocial
cohesion.Butthegrowinguseofthevirtualwillstill
driveusbacktotheliveandthereal.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 39
Whatabouttheroleoftechnologyintheworld
ofplayandleisure?
Technologyisbecomingmorekeyinhowpeoplerelax
andactouttheirleisuretime.Theadventofgesture
recognitioninterfaceslikeMicrosoftKinecthasmeant
thatgaminghasandwillcontinuetobecomemore
physical.Also,developmentsinvirtualrealityhavethe
potentialtodrasticallychangehowweviewcontent,
meaningthatwecanliveoutexperiencesinthe
digitalworldratherthanjustviewthem.
Theseadvanceswillchangethefaceofgaming,and
pushitintoascenariowhichblursthelinebetween
gamingandotherexperiencesinthenewdigital
realm.Forinstance,youwillbeabletoexperience
adocumentarythatlooksattheoriginofsealife,
whereyouwillfoatintheoceanandbeableto
shrinkyourselftothesizeofapieceofplankton,or
growtothesizeofabluewhale.Inthevirtualreality
experience,youwillbethemasterofreality.
Howdoyouthinktechnologywillimpactthis
newgenerationofchildren?
GenerationI,aswecallthematTheFutureLaboratory,
aregrowingupwithnewexpectationsofwhat
technologycando.Althoughstatisticallychildren
arespendingmoretimeindoors,theywanttobe
nolessactive.Expecttoseemoreofactivegames
thatrequirephysicalinteractionchanneledthrough
digitalchannels.
Agreatexampleofthisistheplayareaatthe
RoyalLondonHospital,whereadigitalgamecalled
WoodlandWiggleisdesignedtohelpchildrenthat
mayhavespenttimerecuperatinginbedtobecome
moreactive.Thechildrenhavetojumpandstretchto
catchmusicalnotesastheydescendonagiantscreen.
Whataretheotherkeydevelopmentsthat
FutureLaboratoryforecastsforthenext
10years?
DawnoftheAgeofEveryware
GlobaltechnologyresearchfrmIDCstatesthat
by2015,37%oftheworldslabourforce,or1.3bn
people,willidentifyasmobileworkers.Thecompany
alsopredictsthat1trillionnetworkeddeviceswillbe
connectedworldwideby2025.
Thisstateofmassmobileconnectionsetsusupfor
thenextphaseoftheInternet-TheAgeofEveryware,
atermcoinedbyurbanistAdamGreenfeldinhis
bookEveryware:TheDawningAgeofUbiquitous
Computing,whichexploresthisburgeoningreality
whereanythingelectronicwillbelinkedtotheweb.
InthenewAgeofEverywarearangeofpredictive
deviceswillbeabletocommunicatewithoneanother
tomakeourworkinglivesincreasinglyseamless.
Work,andthefunctionsofwork,willbecomemore
sentient,anticipatoryandpredictiveastheInternet
ofThingsanticipatesourmovements,objectivesand
workpatterns.
TheConvergentWorkhouse
Asspaceisincreasinglyatapremium,previously
unassociatedbrandsandsectorswillcometogetherto
occupysharedspaces.Inthiswaytheywillbeableto
pursueindividual,bilateralandcollaborativebusiness
goals.Crucially,theworkplacewillbeabout
cross-pollinatingideas.
Wewillseemoreandmorevirtualandrealsystems
thatallowco-workersandcollaboratorstogeneratea
newkindofsocial,culturalandcommercialcurrency
onethatisagile,weightless,innovativeandalways
opentoembracingthenew,thenextandthemost
advantageousintermsoffutureopportunities.
Technologyhasallowedthesethingstohappen,
freeingusfromtheveryphysicalandrestrictive
demandsofwires,cabling,desktopandcumbersome
storagesystems,andenablingustoliveinthecloud.
Butthisisonlythebeginningofthejourney.
LifeonDemand:Howtechnologyistransformingdailylife 40
LauraDemasi
ResearchDirector,
IpsosMind&MoodReport
Associalresearcherswespendalotoftimeinthe
livingroomsandkitchensofAustralianslisteningto
themtalkaboutthethingsthatmattertothem.Lately,
alongsidemainstayissuessuchasjobsecurityandthe
costofliving,theconversationinthehomesofeveryday
Australianshasturnedtotechnology.Peopleofallages
andsocio-economicgroupsfromDoubleBayto
Dubbo-aretalkingabouthowtechnologyischanging
theirlives.Theysharetheirexcitementandenthusiasm.
Andtheysharetheiranxiety.
Sowhenwebeganthisstudywealreadyknewthatthe
wayeverydayAustraliansgoabouttheirday-to-day
liveswasbeingtransformed,butthedetailsofthisnew
realitywerestillunclear.Inquantifyingthesechanges
LifeonDemandhasenabledustopaintavividpicture
ofthisnewwayoflivingandthesignifcanttechnology-
ledsocialchangesafootinourworld,thatIbelievewill
continuetoreshapesomanyfacetsofourlives.
DrRebeccaHuntley
ExecutiveDirector,
IpsosMind&MoodReport
LifeonDemandshowsjusthowtechnologyhas
revolutionalisedourdailyroutines,ourworklives,
familylives,sociallivesandleisuretime.Everytime
wesitandlistentoAustralianstalkabouttheirlives
weseetheextenttowhichsmartdevicesanddigital
toolsarebeingusedtomakeeverythingwedoeasier,
quicker,richerandmorerewarding.Whilethereare
stillanxietiesaboutthesocialandpsychologicalimpact
ofallthistimeonlineandourrelianceondevices,
Isenseagrowingconfdenceandsophistication
amongAustralianconsumerswhenitcomesto
technology.Weareearlyadoptersandadaptable
usersoftechnology.Weseetheupsidemorethanthe
downsideofdevices.Thatwillcontinueintothefuture.
AFINALWORDFROMTHEAUTHORS