Two thirds of young adults say technology can be dehumanising as society continues to rely heavily on it, a new Intel commissioned report reveals.
The survey revealed that 18 to 24-year-olds also wish technology to be more personal and to know their habits, with 36% saying that technology should learn about their behaviour and preferences during usage.
Intel Labs Interaction and Experience Research director and anthropologist Dr. Genevieve Bell said initially it seems like millennials are rejecting technology, but the reality is more complicated and interesting.
"A different way to read this might be that millennials want technology to do more for them, and we have work to do to make it much more personal and less burdensome," Bell said.
Almost 70% of young adults said technology had improved their personal relationships, 57% hoped that innovations would improve education, while 52% and 49% cited transportation and healthcare respectively.
The report also revealed that ‘Generation Y’ was more willing to share birth dates, GPS records and online shopping history than older gernerations, while elderly women and those residing in emerging markets are said to be excited about the role of technology in their lives.
Women over 45 years say that that technology makes people more human and could intensify their relationships.
"Women historically have become avid users of technology when that technology solves a problem, helps us organise our lives and that of our families as well as aids us in saving time and time shifting," Bell added.
"I have to wonder whether this data is showing that women are optimistic because they see technology innovation that is starting to deliver on the promise of better fitting into the rhythms of our days, helping with our specific concerns and needs, and creating new compelling experiences that women and men alike will find valuable."
According to the survey, women in emerging markets across ages consider innovations would drive better education (66%), transportation (58%), work (57%) and healthcare (56%).
Another 86% of women in emerging markets would be willing to embrace software that watches their work habits, followed by students’ study habits (88%) and even smart toilets that monitor their health (77%).
The survey concluded that Italians and Japanese had the most negative approaches towards technology.
