Ofcom’s 2016 Communications Market Report studied the connected behaviour of over 2000 adults and 500 teenagers.
The researchers found that UK adults on average spend a day (25 hours) online every week. They are spending longer online than they intend – and are neglecting family, friends, work, housework – and even their health – to do so!
Other key findings
- 59% of internet users consider themselves ‘hooked’ on their connected device
- 49% say they spend longer online every day than they originally intend
- 37% say the same of social media
- 61% of teenagers have been digitally grounded in some way – with parents restricting the time they can use their devices
- 25% of adults say they have been bumped into on the street at least once a week by an inattentive device user!
- The use of instant messaging by adults has surged in the last year; for young people aged 16-24 instant messaging is considered the single most important way of communicating
- The proportion of 55-64 years who had internet access increased from 82% in 2015 to 87% in 2016
- 51% in that age group use social media at least once a week
- An increasing number of people are trying to take some digital downtime by spending some time at least without accessing the internet.
- 16% of adults say they deliberately holidayed in locations with no internet access!
You can find out more about the research, along with links to open research data, here.