Domest-‘icks’: Not Turning Lights Off, Leaving Things All Over The Floor And Family Members Not ‘Doing Their Bit’ Top List Of Household Habits That Spark The Most Household Squabbles

• Samsung Electronics UK enlists the help of family relationship expert, Paul C Brunson who shares his tips on how to keep the wheels from falling off the family wagon
• Households spend 39 hours per year, equivalent to 26 football matches, bickering about simple household tasks*
• The research commissioned to mark the launch of Samsung Electronic UK’s new campaign: ‘You and AI. As One.’ shows its AI-enabled products working in unison together to bring balance to modern family life. Watch the film here HERE

LONDON, UK – 28th June 2024 – One of the UK’s top family relationship experts has advised on how to tackle domestic discord, suggesting AI could be Brits’ secret ally in smoothing out household squabbles.  

Paul C Brunson who is a professional matchmaker, author and life coach, and co-host of Celebs Go Dating and Married at First Sight UK turned his skills to the ultimate challenge – resolving the tensions that lead to everyday bickering within British homes. 

“AI-enabled technology can help make families more harmonious by preventing domestic discord before it happens,” according to the relationship expert. “It can handle many of the household tasks that often cause tensions to mount, helping to keep the wheels from falling off the family wagon. Common flashpoints such as leaving lights on can be dissolved through AI-enabled tech, which allows you to view a 3D map of your home and control your connected devices from your phone.”

His insight follows new research revealing British households collectively notch up 39 hours a year bickering – typically having two disagreements a day lasting roughly three minutes each – adding up to 45 minutes per week or 39 hours per year. That’s the equivalent of enduring or enjoying 26 football matches, without extra time!

Over a quarter (28%) of adults admitted leaving lights on can lead to crossed wires – as well as rising electricity bills.

The study was commissioned to mark the launch of Samsung UK’s new ad campaign: ‘You and AI. As One’ shows their AI-enabled products working in unison together to bring balance to modern family life – helping families with their everyday chores.

The top family tiffs that make everyone’s eyes roll include: not turning lights off (28%), not doing their fair share of chores (24%), and the classic ‘leaving things on the floor’ (23%).

However, the solution could be AI which, only eight per cent have used AI to help them with tasks around the home.

One in four said they think AI could be a peacekeeper, helping to reduce the number of household squabbles. Turning off lights (19 per cent), devices which can control energy usage (17 per cent) and a fridge which tells you when food is about to go off (15 per cent) are the top tech developments people think could help reduce tensions.

Paul C Brunson added: “The rise in AI-enabled tech should be embraced more widely – and could lead to happier households as a result.”

“Household tiffs are a normal part of everyday life,” he said. “But I think we can all agree that spending an inordinate amount of time on these is unnecessary and could be avoided where possible.  I mean, who wants to bicker about keeping the noise down while you’re watching your favourite show when you can have an AI TV that does this for you.”

“Having open and honest communication is key and can be helped by having regular family meetings to air our feelings.”

The poll of 2,000 UK adults found 87 per cent agreed their rows are trivial, whilst 65 per cent agreed the occasional spirited debate was needed to clear the air now and then.

When it comes to figuring out the origins of these trivial tiffs, there are mixed perceptions in UK households. Whilst more than a quarter (26 per cent) boldly held their hands up and admitted often the instigator, a third (36 per cent) proudly claimed to be the ‘Chief Peacekeeper’ at home.

Mr Brunson added: “Samsung has AI-enabled technology like checking the fridge remotely whilst you’re doing a food shop, making sure lights aren’t left on so electricity bills don’t pile up – or even do the vacuuming for us. AI is not only giving us back valuable time in our day but essentially giving us peace of mind and less tension in the household.”

Deborah Honig, Chief Customer Officer, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, said: “Our AI-powered products are designed to work in harmony with you and your family, lending a helping hand when you need it most.

“It’s like having an extra pair of hands to vacuum the floor after a morning of wonderfully messy play.

“The pace of modern life is often fast and furious; at Samsung, we want to be right there with you, providing technology that gives you the time and headspace you need to navigate the ups, downs and find-each-other-again moments.”

To watch the ‘You and AI. As One’ film, visit HERE

The top 10 list of domestic debates that cause the most disagreements: 

1. Not turning lights off (28%)
2. Someone not doing a fair share of chores (24%)
3. Leaving things all over the floor (23%)
4. Messy Bedrooms (22%)
5. Using up the last of the milk/fridge contents and not saying anything (19%)
6. What to watch on TV (18%)
7. Not taking items which have been left off the stairs (18%)
8. Leaving the dishes to soak rather than washing them up (17%)
9. What to have for dinner (16%)
10. Someone hogging the bathroom (14%)

Paul C Brunson’s tips for solving domestic discord:

1. Being open and having things like family meetings allows people to address any recurring issues. Family meetings also give you time to figure out solutions together. Make sure everyone is heard, as that’s critical in ensuring buy-in moving forward.
2. Taking the guesswork out of responsibility makes it impossible for there to be any confusion. Things like chore charts are a great visual cue and encourage people to do their fair share. Rotating chores also helps avoid boredom.
3. Get to know each other better. For example, by cooking dinner together the main chef of the house can teach some of their skills to other family members. It can also help show them why a pile of dirty dishes in the sink or a dishwasher full of clean utensils can make a normally fun activity into something more frustrating.
4. Discussing household squabbles outside the home in a neutral setting can reduce emotional intensity and keep the conversation objective and respectful. This is very helpful if you’re running into repeated clashes with a specific family member.
5. Neutral environments, like parks or cafés, help the focus shine on solutions rather than getting stuck in the problem. Keep a positive tone, use structured dialogue, and stay solution-oriented. When at home, implement the solution and keep talking to help encourage progress.
6. If verbal communication isn’t your strong suit, that’s ok. Try writing your family member a letter. This method allows you to express your emotions and thoughts without the pressure of a face-to-face confrontation.