38 Percent Of Arizonans Will Have A Virtual Christmas 2019

ARIZONA — For 38 percent of Arizonans this year, Wi-Fi will prove as central in their Christmas celebration as a Christmas tree and gifts. A recent survey by GearHungry.com showed that ubiquitous technologies such as FaceTime and Skype are motivating that 38 percent to opt for a virtual instead of an in-person Christmas this year, though other factors are at play too.

The primary reason Arizona residents might opt out of visiting family this Christmas is “because they live too far away,” the survey of 3,000 said. A majority of Arizonans polled weren’t willing to spend more than 3.4 hours traveling to distant family destinations. Nationally, 27 percent of those opting for a virtual Christmas also said their family was too far and travel time too long.

Another 19 percent of those surveyed nationally said transportation cost was the main deterrent to visiting family in person this Christmas. Eighteen percent of Americans are choosing to have time to themselves rather than with family this Christmas, while another 12 percent reported they couldn’t get enough time off work.

For another 20 percent nationally, visiting family happens less often because they know they can use real-time video technology. But whether a virtual or in-person holiday, 25 percent of U.S. residents surveyed said they only see or talk to family members at Christmas.

“Technology is advancing at a quicker rate than we ever could have imagined,” said a GearHungry.com spokesperson. “Having access to video calling apps takes the stress out of traveling long distances to visit your loved ones, allowing for a more laid-back holiday season.”

Regardless of which form one’s Christmas takes, 65 percent of those surveyed nationally said it’s the worst holiday for being alone, beating out birthdays (24 percent) New Year’s (6 percent) and Thanksgiving (5 percent). But most of those alone in Arizona might be in luck at Christmastime: 83 percent of Arizona residents surveyed would invite someone to their Christmas celebration if they found out a neighbor would be alone that day.