‘Charge anxiety’ is now officially a thing

Over-reliance on phones to do... well, everything, is causing Brits angst

Music-mad Brits are suffering from 'charge anxiety' at concerts - because they rely on their phone to pay for travel, drinks and merchandise, to contact gig-going pals and so they can capture memories and record content. A study of 2,000 adults who regularly attend live music events found 57 per cent fear their phone running out of battery at a show, leaving them unable to find someone they’ve lost in the crowd. While nearly one in five (17 per cent) want to call friends who aren’t there so they can experience the music and 16 per cent use their phone to pay for merch or drinks. A further 23 per cent admitted they struggle to enjoy the concert if they’re fretting about their phone’s battery. It also emerged nearly one in five (16 per cent) wouldn’t even want to go to a concert if they couldn’t take photos or videos, which increases to 45 per cent for 18–24-year-olds. The research was commissioned by Virgin Media O2 to highlight the launch of Priority members being able to access portable phone chargers for free at O2 Academy venues across the UK. It also found 29 per cent feel they would miss an opportunity to capture memories if they couldn’t record at a gig. Jayd Williams, head of music partnerships and sponsorship, O2 Academy, at Virgin Media O2, said: “It’s clear that music fans want to be able to capture the moment when they’re at a music event without fear of their phone running flat. “Since the rise of social media, sharing photos and videos of events has become the norm, with gig-goers wanting to show off their experience and what artists they’ve seen. “Whether it’s for the likes of the personal memories –so they can re-watch and relive the moment – it seems that we now live in an age of ‘did you even go if you didn’t take a photo?'” The study also found gig-goers spend an average of 14 minutes of each concert they attend capturing content on their phone. This allows them to record memories (30 per cent), share snaps with family and friends who like the artist (19 per cent) and post on social media (12 per cent). And 76 per cent take photos and videos every time they attend a concert. In fact, of the 1,459 photos on the average phone, 51 of them are from gigs. But 18 per cent worry about not being able to capture content if their mobile battery runs out during a performance, with 33 per cent of 18–24-year-olds claiming they suffer this every time they’re at a gig. And 59 per cent of 18–24 year-olds have taken a tablet or iPad to a gig to record in comparison to just 30 per cent of over 64’s. More than a quarter of those surveyed, via OnePoll, even admitted they’d happily block someone else’s view if it meant they could get a better photo or video, which jumps to nearly half (48 per cent) among 18-24 year olds. Jayd Williams added: “We know how important it is to keep connected so you don’t miss a moment, and we will be helping to keep gig-goers’ phones fully charged during their favourite music artists’ performance.” Related links:

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