45-year-olds less tech savvy than six-year-olds - Ofcom

New report also reveals one tenth of workers send work emails in bed

Children of primary school age have a better understanding of new technology than those in their mid-40s, according to a new Ofcom report, which claims the majority of people send work emails out of hours.

According to Ofcom's new Communications Market Report – which analyses Brits' use of the internet, smart devices, TV and radio, among other things – children born at the turn of the millennium are leading the way on tech adoption.

Ofcom surveyed 2,000 adults and 800 children under 15 as part of its survey and from the results, assigned age groups an average score based on their knowledge, use and awareness of new technology products and services.

The national average score was 100 on Ofcom's scale, with those aged six and seven coming in just under that at 98. People aged between 45 and 49 scored 96 – below both the UK average and the number scored by the youngest people surveyed. More than 60 per cent of people aged 55 and over scored below average, the report added.

Fourteen and 15-year-olds are the most tech savvy, mainly down to the fact they grew up in a digital-first age.

"Teens born at the turn of the millennium are unlikely to have known dial-up internet and are the first generation to benefit from broadband and digital communications while growing up," Ofcom said.

"We hit our peak confidence and understanding of digital communications and technology when we are in our mid-teens; this drops gradually up to our late 50s and then falls rapidly from 60 and beyond."

Taking work home

Sixty per cent of workers do some form of work-related communications outside their contracted hours, with a tenth of those surveyed admitting to sending or reading work emails in bed.

"While technology is seen by many as a distraction in our daily lives, a quarter (24 per cent) of workers think technology is improving their work-life balance," Ofcom said.

"Just under half (49 per cent) say it is not making much difference either way and 16 per cent think technology is making their work-life balance worse."

Workers cannot escape the office while on holiday either, with 32 per cent admitting to making work calls or sending emails during time off. Of those, one in 10 has worked by the pool or on the beach.

But it is a two-way street, Ofcom said, adding that a quarter of staff keep track of sports results while at work, with a fifth admitting to shopping online on the company's time.