How much of a geek are you? New calculator separates the tech buffs from the technophobes. so how do you score?

Are you obsessed with the latest technology and have a burning desire to own every new device? Or are you a prolific Tweeter or TV addict?  A new study has divided the nation into five personality types based on the technology they own and their lifestyle choices.  The industry body behind the research has also created The Great British Geek Calculator so you can discover which group you belong to. The study also found that the UK has become a nation of geeks, spending more than £50 billion a year on technology products such as phones, tablets, TVs, laptops and other devices. Technology advertising spend is also on the increase - at £1.5 billion in 2012, up from £1.4 billion in 2011. And the authors say it is now technology ownership and lifestyle choices - rather than standard demographics and our age - which determines how we fit into the so-called Tech Nation. The study, which was a joint project between Newsworks and Kantar Media, surveyed 24,000 people to get their attitudes to technology, the devices they own, how they make decisions about purchases and media consumption. The UK's five tech types, according to the study, include the Tech Rich group, which makes up 19 per cent of adults in the the UK.

These people are 'affluent high spenders' with the highest levels of tech ownership and account for over a third of all technology bought in the UK. Women make up 40 per cent of this group and 70 per cent of them are over 35. Social Addicts - 18 per cent of adults - think that mobile is essential; they can't do without mobile communication. This group has the highest ownership of mobile devices including MP3s (95 per cent), laptops (91 per cent), games consoles (77 per cent), smartphones (79 per cent). Almost half are over 35 years old. The Price Pragmatists don’t own many tech devices and aren't interested in technology. They make up 21 per cent of UK adults and will seek out offers and deals when they do decide to buy. Some 17 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds are Price Pragmatists. On the other end of the price scale, Quality Seekers don’t buy tech very often but are prepared to pay for quality items.

They tend to be older and more affluent and actively seek guidance and demonstrations before making any purchases. This group makes up 19 per cent of adults. And finally, TV Worshippers make up almost a quarter of the population – 23 per cent. They make technology purchases based purely on entertainment needs and 94 per cent of them have Pay TV such as TiVO, Sky and BT. Over 80 per cent have digital TV recorders and mobile ownership is very high at 96 per cent. However, only 50 per cent of them have a smartphone.  Vanessa Clifford, client services and strategy director at Newsworks, said: 'Tech ownership has a direct bearing on media habits [i.e. TV/internet use] and this research reveals some interesting surprises. 'Age, earning power and class are not necessarily the best way of distinguishing one group from another in today’s complex media landscape.'