London, February 18 (ANI): About 45 per cent of people have admitted that they use phone calls, text messages, tweets and emails to communicate with friends and family members in the same house, according to a new survey.

The study found that one in five (22 per cent) prefer to speak on the phone or on social media such as Facebook and Twitter rather than face-to-face, the Daily Mail reported.

And three-quarters (73 per cent) of the population would struggle to go for just one day without gadgets such as phones, laptops and MP3 players, The Halifax Insurance Digital Home Index have revealed.

The rise in the number of portable devices has also created a generation who cannot switch off, with 25 per cent of the population admitting they check their emails and messages in bed and one in ten in the bathroom.

The poll of 2,500 adults living in the UK found that twice as many people said that the item they would least like to lose was their smartphone than their wedding or engagement ring.

On average British women each own 4,058 pounds worth of technology devices, while males own 4,294 pounds each.

Meanwhile Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman has warned that over-reliance on technology is becoming a problem for all age groups and leading to the breakdown of relationships. (ANI)