More than a quarter of Brits wish that social media had never been invented, according to new research – but it is selfie sticks and speed cameras that people really hate.
In a survey that saw mobile app developer Apadmi ask 1,124 people what they wish had never been invented, social media gathered 26% of the vote.
However, speed cameras were listed as the second worst invention with 38.7% of the vote, while the majority of respondents (46%) pointed to the selfie stick.
Other unwelcome inventions included freemium games, which took 26% of the vote, and smart watches (15%).
On the other end of the spectrum, the research found that 42% of Brits could not live without mobile phones and tablets, while search giant Google came in second with 28% of the vote.
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Despite so many cursing the creation of social media, 10% said they couldn’t live without it.
With apps now also a crucial invention of today, the study also asked respondents which apps have added the most value to their lives. Information apps such as the news, journey planners and maps came on top with 30% of the vote.
Retail apps were listed as important too with 15.8% of the vote, and social apps such as Skype and Facebook took 18% of the vote.
‘Few could have predicted how important the mobile phone would become,’ said Nick Black, co-founder and CEO of Apadmi. ‘We now carry around a device that is able to assist us in so many ways with our daily life.
‘Apps came out of nowhere and in a few short years completely dominated the market, so it was interesting to find out which apps are the most popular too.’
