Changing Times: Home Life and Domestic Habit The Connected Home: The Future of Domestic Life

How people use time tells us much about the prevailing social and economic conditions. This chapter presents empirical evidence, mainly from major surveys. It examines how time was used in Britain at the start of the twenty-first century, especially time spent at home, and how this has changed. It explores how the use of time may be affected by the availability of domestic appliances and, in particular, the impact of the arrival of the internet in the home. In doing this it also touches on the work life balance, telework and the digital divide. Thus this overview of data on time use sets the scene for the later chapters.