Yes, you read that correctly. In a recent study by London Science Museum, the 3,000 adults surveyed revealed that Facebook ranked 5th out of 50 things they couldn’t live without. In fact, Facebook ranks right up there with sunshine and clean drinking water.
The results were meant to point towards the science museum’s latest exhibition, Water Wars: Fight The Food Crisis, which showcases a need for fresh water to grow crops, along with the emerging technologies meant to help solve the problem. One of the more shocking results: Internet connection is more valuable to those polled than clean water.
Science Museum Exhibition Manager, Sarah Richardson, appeared to be equally astonished.
“Brits are obsessed by the weather, so it’s not surprising sunshine was rated as the top thing we couldn’t live without. But to say you can’t live without material things over drinking water is crazy.
It seems having fresh drinking water is something that many of us take for granted but is becoming scarcer in many parts of the world. If you see how little water others have to drink or grow food you soon realise water is fast becoming a luxury for millions.”
Below, take a peek at a few more shocking findings.
Full survey results:
- Sunshine
- Internet connection
- Clean drinking water
- Fridge
- NHS
- Cooker
- Flushing toilet
- Mobile phone / smartphone
- Tea and Coffee
- Washing machine
- Shower
- Central heating
- Painkillers
- Fresh vegetables
- Vacuum Cleaner
- Kettle
- Sofa
- Shoes
- Fresh fruit
- Car
- Hair straighteners
- Public transport
- Laptop
- Chocolate
- DVD Player
- Wristwatch
- Make-up
- Flat screen TV
- Wedding ring
- Tumble dryer
- Bottled water
- Ebay
- Bicycle
- Ipod
- Air conditioning
- Disposable nappies
- Light bulbs
- Spell-check
- Sat Nav
- Push-up bra
- Nintendo Wii
- iPad
- Gym Membership
- Season ticket to your football club
- Freezer
- Xbox
Which of these results shock you the most? For us, Facebook being more important than lightbulbs sounds like a bit of a stretch, doesn’t it? Sound off below.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.