According to a survey, Christmas isn’t complete without snuggling up for a festive film, assembling children’s toys, or indulging in chocolate for breakfast.
The study of 2,000 adults who celebrate the holiday season revealed that witnessing a loved one’s joy when opening their gift, tracking Santa’s journey online, and savouring the first mouthful of Christmas dinner are all integral parts of the celebration.
Other cherished moments include enjoying seasonal delicacies, unwrapping anticipated presents, taking a family stroll on Christmas day, dozing off on the couch, and gathering with multiple generations of the family.
The poll also found that 46% dread missing out on these experiences and depend on photos, video calls, and regular updates from family members to feel included in the festivities.
Additionally, 55% use digital means to share memorable moments, such as children unwrapping their gifts, with friends and family. The research was conducted by Virgin Media O2, which has launched the National Databank in all O2 stores across the country.
This initiative offers free mobile data, texts, and calls to help those facing poverty stay connected over Christmas and beyond. Nicola Green from the network commented: “We know that Christmas is a magical time for so many across the country and has the power to bring people together – whether that’s in person or virtually.
“But there are some who could miss out on the magic of the festive season because they can’t afford mobile data. This includes key moments like sending greetings or meeting up with friends or family, and not being able to access essential services from online banking to booking medical appointments.”
It emerged more than half (58%) rely on online connections from video calls to social media to keep connected to loved ones during the festive season.
But, if they couldn’t access the internet, 28% say they’d feel sad if they couldn’t contact their friends or family, while 27% would miss connecting with them over the Christmas period, according to the OnePoll.com findings.
And the impact on day-to-day life without access to the internet, not just in the festive period, cannot be understated.
With access to banking services, communicating with friends and family and booking GP appointments seen as some of the biggest struggles. It would leave people feeling frustrated, anxious or disconnected from loved ones.
The survey revealed as many as 42% know someone who may struggle during the Christmas period, whether it be financially or emotionally.
And around a fifth (19%) know someone, or multiple people, who are experiencing ‘data poverty’ – where they’re unable to afford enough data to do everything they need and want to do on the internet.
Nicola Green from Virgin Media O2 has said: “Our National Databank with digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, has already connected more than 200,000 people across the UK, and we want to support even more this Christmas.
“If you’re struggling or know someone affected by data poverty, we’ll provide a free SIM with 25GB of monthly data, plus calls and texts for 12 months. It’s all part of our work to close the digital divide and our commitment to providing data and devices to help people in need to get online.”
