AN ENORMOUS “beating heart” has appeared in Trafalgar Square – powered by human connections.
The installation, called the Connected Heartbeat measures nearly four by four metres and glows in real time as calls, texts and data connections are made on the Vodafone network in the capital.
The best time to see the heart in action could be 7:01 pm, after research of 2,000 adults revealed this to be the busiest time of day when it comes to making calls and sending texts.
Across a whole day, the average adult sends an estimated 28 messages to friends and family – more than 10,000 a year – with Londoners the most active on their phones compared to other parts of the country.
Vodafone unveiled the installation and research to celebrate being named London’s Best Network by NET CHECK for the second year running.
Broadcaster Roman Kemp got the heart glowing as he encouraged passers-by to get the heart ‘beating’ with their own network connections.
He said: “I have lived in the capital for years now and to see my fellow Londoner’s waking up and connecting with others in real time as they go about their day and as a piece of art is really cool.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, and it really shows the power of connection and how integral it is to the fabric of our daily lives.”
The study also found a good old fashioned phone call is only the fourth most-common way to get in touch with friends, with just 10 per cent frequently making them.
Despite this, nearly 13 million voice calls are still made in London on an average day on Vodafone’s network.
It lags behind WhatsApp messages (51 per cent), SMS messages (16 per cent) or social media updates (14 per cent).
Of the UK’s mobile phone users, those in London send the most messages, firing off more nearly 50 a day – and they also make the most phone calls.
While Gen Z are the biggest message fans, with WhatsApp used most frequently, sending five times more than a typical Boomer.
The typical adult is also involved in eight different group chats, with those aged 25-34 in the most, having to keep up with a staggering 12 different groups.
But 66 per cent believe daily digital connection is essential for maintaining relationships with loved ones, according to the survey conducted via OnePoll.com.
And six in 10 believe they would have less contact with their loved ones if it wasn’t for their mobile phones.
Andrea Donà, chief network officer and network director at Vodafone UK, said: “Seeing our network brought to life in such a striking way is fascinating and something that has never been done before.
“We power millions of connections in the city every single day, and what better way to celebrate this than by putting it in shining lights.
“We know staying connected night and day is important, whether that’s for work or being able to check-in with loved ones on-the-go.”
