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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Richard Jenkins

Brits have found love, got a job and saved a life thanks to online tutorials

Brits have found love, got a job and even saved a life having previously consulted online tutorials.

A study of 2,000 adults found more than one in 10 believe they have found love after watching 'how to date' videos.

And 10% also think they landed their dream job after viewing clips about 'how to ace the perfect interview'.

A quarter of those polled even think they have been able to help someone in medical difficulty with knowledge gleaned from videos online.

And one in five of those believe this has meant they have helped to save a life.

More than half would rather turn to Google or YouTube for this than ask a person to help or train them (Getty)

The research was commissioned by Vision Direct, whose content manager Alex Smyrliadi, said: "We all spend a lot of time online these days, and our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.

"How-to videos are always useful, but our study found they can actually be lifesaving, if the situation demands it.

"It can be hard to learn something new when someone explains it just once, and as video content can be replayed whenever, wherever, it makes information a lot easier to digest.

The study found one in 10 also thank video tutorials for successfully conceiving a child (Getty)

"It's almost second-nature to us as a format, as we're all used to engaging with it through social media already.

"Plus, getting expert advice in person can be difficult or even impossible sometimes, so

'How To' videos make sharpening skills accessible to a lot more people."

The study found one in 10 also thank video tutorials for successfully conceiving a child.

This comes after previous research by Vision Direct found two-thirds of adults rely on technology first and foremost if they want to learn anything new.

And more than half would rather turn to Google or YouTube for this than ask a person to help or train them.

Just under 20 % of those polled, via OnePoll, now believe they're experts at cooking after consulting How To videos (Getty)

Other frequently searched 'How To' videos include how to put in contact lenses, get stains out of clothing, get further on a computer game, and shave for the first time.

While others want to watch how to learn French, type, bake cookies, apply gel nails, and poach an egg.

Just under 20 % of those polled, via OnePoll, now believe they're experts at cooking after consulting How To videos, and 11 per cent have mastered the art of makeup.

But the most common skill Brits have picked up after watching videos online is how to tackle DIY jobs around the home.

Vision Direct has launched a series of How To Put In Contact Lenses videos, [https://www.visiondirect.co.uk/contact-lenses/how-to-put-in-contact-lenses] so those with a prescription can get additional online help when learning at home.

Alex Smyrliadi added: "As with anything you learn yourself, just because you're taught it in person doesn't mean you immediately pick it up and can then do that task perfectly first time around.

"We know the old adage 'practice makes perfect' stands true, and that to learn anything well, whether that's putting in contact lenses, doing a bit of DIY or poaching an egg, you need to do that thing more than once.

"And not everyone learns in the same way, so it is important to acknowledge that a method that works for one person, may not work so well for another.

"That's why we put together multiple ways to put in contact lenses with different users in mind - for example, those with long nails may need a different approach.

"Learning isn't a one-size-fits-all process and there's something for every different contact lens wearer in our How To video series."

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