Almost half of Britons experience loneliness at Christmas – survey

Almost half of Britons say they experience loneliness during the festive period, and more than a third will be spending Christmas apart from loved ones this year, a survey has suggested.

Some 36% of Britons will be spending this Christmas apart from loved ones for reasons such as being with a partner’s family (20%) or working (19%), the poll for Vodafone found.

Some 94% say technology to connect with friends and family is “important to their celebrations”.

More than two-thirds of Britons (68%) said contact via technology with loved ones was more important than Christmas dinner (47%), opening presents (23%) or playing family games (18%).

More than half (52%) of Britons said they struggled to imagine Christmas without using technology to contact others.

Aside from making contact, Britons used technology at Christmas to shop (30%), find the best discounts (15%), post updates on social media (14%) and track when to take their turkey out of the oven (10%).

Some 44% also said technology helped make Christmas “more magical” for their children.

This included by video-calling loved ones when apart (64%), streaming Christmas music and videos (53%) and tracking Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve (34%).

Vodafone said its own figures from last year showed that approximately 16 million SMS messages and 21 million calls were made by its customers on Christmas Day.

Nicki Lyons, chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: “Connecting with loved ones is a hugely important part of the festive season and if you aren’t together in person, technology becomes central to making that connection.

“For those without access to this, due to a lack of skills or the means to get online, the simple act of having a voice call with a faraway family member or messaging a friend at work is out of reach.

“We are proud to have now helped three million people and businesses cross the digital divide and remain committed to reaching our target of four million by the end of 2025.”

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell charity, which has distributed around 200,000 free SIM cards in a partnership with Vodafone, said: “In today’s increasingly digital world, being online and connected is one of life’s essentials.

“Lacking access to the internet impacts people’s ability to apply for jobs, manage their finances or access vital services. It’s also an important lifeline for people to connect with family and friends.”

Censuswide surveyed 2,000 UK adults between November 6 and 8.