Technology trends revealed

Research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, made the discovery as it examines changes to technology since the year 2000.

Facebook (30 per cent), Twitter (27) and Instagram (23) were the second, third and fourth least popular inventions.

Uswitch say it is not just the older generations who regret the rise of certain social media sites — three in ten of those aged 18 to 34 also wish TikTok had never been created, compared with 31 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds, and 38 per cent of the over-55s.

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Some social media sites are less about sharing news and more about showing off, which could explain why so many people wish that TikTok had never been invented.”

Half of consumers say they don’t miss any technology from the turn of the millennium, but others were nostalgic about the loss of television text service Ceefax, which stopped broadcasting in 2012.

Nearly one in ten people said it was the piece of technology around in 2000 they missed most, while music cassettes and VHS tapes were next most-missed, among six per cent of people.

Consumers are spending more on gadgets than ever, with the value of household devices rising 150 per cent since the year 2000 — despite the cost of computers and televisions falling during that time. Households are now spending an average of £8,500 on their gadgets, compared to £3,400 20 years ago.

Modern homes now have 11 gadgets on average, up from eight in 2000, with seven connecting to the internet.

Half of homes have a smart TV, three in ten own a smart speaker like Alexa or Google Home and 18 per cent have a smart watch.

The most common household tech in the year 2000 were televisions, found in eight out of ten homes, with landline phones (73 per cent) and mobile phones (59 per cent) the next most popular devices. Analogue music players like Walkmans were found in a third of houses (32 per cent), and electronic pets called Tamagotchis were cared for in one in ten.

Two thirds of people say technology has made life easier over the last 20 years, and three quarters say it has helped them keep in touch with loved ones. However, less than half of people say technology has made the world a better place.

Consumers are most excited by the idea of 100Gbps broadband speeds for all in 20 years, with two thirds agreeing to this.

Next most popular were fake trees that scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and doors that operate based on recognition.