Research: 25% of UK adults could use more encouragement with technology

Around a quarter of adults in the UK lack confidence with technology and could benefit from greater encouragement, according to new research by TalkTalk Broadband.

The study suggested Britain is home to half a dozen so-called 'digital tribes', ranging from those who prefer to use a pen and paper but know how to use the internet, through to people who use a range of technology enthusiastically on a daily basis.

Social anthropologist Professor David Zeitlyn from the University of Kent helped analyse the research and said knowledge of technology could affect people's career prospects in the coming years.

He said: "It seems likely that your openness to new technology and willingness to embrace it will soon become more important in dictating your life chances than, say, your schooling or your parents' economic status."

Broadband is increasingly vital to many homes and businesses throughout the UK, while technology such as VoIP solutions can help further reduce communications costs.

The Telegraph reports that more people could choose to build home offices in their gardens to avoid having to commute to work in the mornings.