One In Seven Millennials Have Even Tried Reading A Paper Map

This may come as no surprise, but without their smartphones, millennials are lost.  Literally.

A new survey  of 2,000 people sponsored by Ordnance Survey, which is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, say just one in seven millennials have ever even tried to read a printed, paper map.

The poll quizzed 1,000 people aged 23-38, and 1,000 people who were at least 39 years old, and compared their navigation skills.

Just 18% in the younger group said they were "very confident" in their paper-map-reading abilities, as opposed to 44% of the middle-aged people who took part in the poll.

What's more, 60% millennials say they rely on their smartphone's map, with 30% admitting they've become lost or headed in the wrong direction even when using one.

Fifty-three percent say they'd "struggle" to navigate without their smartphone. In fact, the poll revealed that those in the younger group use a digital map at least once a week, compared to twice a month for the older set.

"Technology is great, and we are seeing year on year how apps like OS Maps are inspiring and enabling millions of people to get outside," says Nick Giles, managing director of Ordnance Survey Leisure. "However, we have all experienced tech fails, whether batteries dying or signal issues, and this is where paper maps can be an essential backup."