New Study Shows That You May Be Significantly More Practical Than You Realised

New Study Shows That You May Be Significantly More Practical Than You Realised

Fixing an Internet connection, backing-up data and setting up smart home devices counts as ‘DIY’ now.

If you’ve ever given yourself a hard time for not being ‘handy’ or ‘practical’, you’re in for some good news. Those tasks your parents ask you to do when you visit them, such as fixing a dodgy internet connection, syncing mobile phone contacts, backing-up data and even finding the best price for online purchases? They’re apparently seen as being just as handy as putting up a shelf or fixing a leak.

Research by Aspect, a London based property maintenance company, found that perceptions of the skills we most commonly associated with young adults, such as installing internet-connected devices, setting up home Internet networks and handling household data, are actually on a par with traditional DIY skills such as fixing a leak or putting up shelves. 

In fact, so-called ‘digital DIY’ skills like the ability to restore a lost Internet connection and programme a smart TV are perceived as more useful than the ability the hang wallpaper and equal to the ability to install a washing machine. Finding online bargains, syncing smartphone contacts and backing-up data to the cloud are perceived as more useful than wall-mounting a TV. It seems the idea of ‘handiness’ isn’t just restricted to tasks that involve a power drill.

And this isn’t just young adults patting themselves on the back for their ‘digital DIY’ skills either. Over-55s who took part in the study were the most likely to have a positive view of these non-traditional DIY skills. This means that all those times your parents hit you up for some free tech support haven’t gone unappreciated.

Nick Bizley, director of operations at Aspect, believes the challenges of the housing market and advances in consumer technology have led to a broadening of the scope of what it means to be ‘handy around the house.’

“These findings show that although people still really value traditional DIY talents, the concept of ‘handiness’ is evolving to include skills that didn’t even exist ten years ago. For example, changing a lightbulb was something most people could do quite easily, but the advent of the ‘smart home’ has introduced new complexities to what used to be a simple task. “Handiness is in the eye of the beholder and it’s unfair to criticise people for lacking traditional DIY abilities because the chances are, they’ve got equally useful and impressive skills that are set to become more necessary as homes evolve.” 

“Young people have been getting flack for not being as handy as their parents, but when you consider the proportion of 18-34 years old in rented homes compared to their parents’ generations, and that renters are often prohibited from doing their own maintenance due to their tenancy agreements, it’s no surprise they’re typically less experienced with traditional DIY skills. But young people are the ones most of us turn to when the Internet goes down or when we need help setting up the latest smart device. Everyone is handy with something and the study shows that we’re learning to value new expressions of handiness more and more.”