Work and Play Microsoft Report Turning passions and hobbies into careers tech trends
Home » Blog » Tech Trends » Report: Tech Blending Work and Play

Report: Tech Blending Work and Play

posted in: News, Tech Trends

 

Microsoft’s latest research has found that Brits are increasingly changing their passions into careers.

 Key findings included:
  • One in five (21%) under 25s would like to turn coding into a career, whilst 25% would like to earn a living from computer games
  • The rise of vloggers such as Zoella and Alfie Deyes has led to nearly a quarter (23%) under 25s wishing to make a career out of vlogging or blogging.
  • Four-fifths (81%) of those aged 18-24 said that technology is either a vital part of, or helps facilitate, their hobbies
  • Three-quarters of British adults (76%) agree that technology makes completing ‘life admin’ tasks quicker and easier, saving them on average 17.4 hours a month
The role of technology is increasingly multifaceted Click To Tweet

One in eight British adults (12%) have already turned a passion into a living but younger Brits are most likely to plan to turn technology-based passions into a living, with a quarter wanting to be professional vloggers, 25% hoping to enter the computer games industry, and 21% wanting to have a career in coding.

Young Brits are most likely to turn technology-based passions into a living Click To Tweet

Amongst millennials (broadly defined as 25-34-year olds) one in five (19%) have done so, whilst a further 17% are planning on doing so. And amongst Generation Z (adults under the age of 25) a whopping 61% have already or plan to so do.

Technology is the interest that most Brits have already turned into a career (15%), followed by music (11%) and food and drink (10%). When it comes to the hobbies that Brits would most like to turn into a career, photography (10%), cookery (9%), coding (8%) and technology (8%) topped the list. However, there was a clear difference amongst younger generations.

Technology is the interest that most Brits have already turned into a career Click To Tweet

The rise of vloggers such as Zoella and Alfie Deyes has led to nearly a quarter (23%) of those under 25 stating that they would like to make a career out of vlogging or blogging. Perhaps due to the rise in professional Instagrammers and growing up as camera-phone natives, 23% of under 25s also state that they would like to turn their passion for photography into a career.

Wider technology was a strong career-choice theme for those under 25, with one in five (21%) stating they would like to turn coding into a career, whilst 25% would like to earn a living from computer games – something which is now not as far-fetched as it was just five years ago, thanks to the rise of e-Sports (professional computer gaming).

The rise of vloggers such as Zoella and Alfie Deyes has led to nearly a quarter (23%) of those under 25 stating that they would like to make a career out of vlogging or blogging Click To Tweet

The research found that different generations define themselves by different aspects of their lives. Instead of primarily defining themselves by their career (e.g. describing themselves as a lawyer, doctor, waiter, student etc), younger Brits are most likely to define themselves by their hobbies and passions – something 43% of 18-24-year-olds and 28% of 25-35-year olds said. Those over the age of 35, however, were more likely to define themselves by their role within their family – for example, mother, father, breadwinner, and so on.

Whilst younger Brits are most likely to expect to have a career that they are passionate about (just 5% say a job is something you don’t need a passion for) they are also the most money-motivated generation.

Instead of primarily defining themselves by their career younger Brits are most likely to define themselves by their hobbies and passions Click To Tweet

Forty-five per cent of under-25s list ‘making money’ as a passion and were the only generation in the study to say they would rather have a ‘job that they weren’t passionate about, but paid more’, than vice versa. Conversely, those over 65-years-old were most likely to say that being passionate about a career is more important than earning lots of money.

The research also found that technology is having a very significant impact on Brits’ hobbies. Four-fifths (81%) of those aged 18-24 said that technology is either a vital part of, or helps facilitate, their hobbies, whilst the figure is 68% for millennials (aged 25-34). This figure falls to 47% for adults over 35.

Three-quarters of British adults (76%) agree that technology makes completing ‘life admin’ tasks quicker and easier, saving them on average 17.4 hours a month Click To Tweet

And tech also allows Brits more time to pursue those hobbies and passions. Three-quarters of British adults (76%) agree that technology makes completing ‘life admin’ tasks quicker and easier, saving them on average 17.4 hours a month.

“Some of the findings for Generation Z, who are at the start of their careers, were particularly interesting. The influence of social media and technology has had a prominent impact, with the desire to pursue careers in areas like vlogging, photography and coding coming out very strongly. The role of technology is increasingly multifaceted and the need for reliable devices and software that keep people connected anywhere and anytime is increasingly demanded,” says Microsoft’s Director, Windows Nick Hedderman.  “Microsoft is really about empowering people to achieve their goals. Windows plays a key role in helping people find the time and tools they need to achieve in their work and passion pursuits. We therefore wanted to understand more about the interplay of passions, hobbies, and careers, and just how much this differs for different generations,” he concluded

To find out how to leverage VR/AR/MR in your enterprise, Tech Trends offers bespoke Virtual Reality Consultancy support

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.