Nearly two-thirds of UK internet users 'hooked' to devices

Technology
Consumer
Thursday 4 August 2016 at 3:18am

Video report by ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith

Nearly two-thirds of UK internet users say they are "hooked" to their devices, with many now spending more time on media and communications than sleeping, a new report has found.

An Ofcom study found 34% of internet users, around 15 million people, have undergone a "digital detox" in an attempt to strike a better balance between technology and life beyond a screen.

Fifty nine per cent of users consider themselves to be "hooked" on their connected device and a third said they find it difficult to disconnect.

On average, British adults spend eight hours and 45 minutes on media and communications each day, the report said.

The study showed using the internet was having an impact on many people's daily lives.

Of those who had taken time away from the internet, 25% left it for up to a day, 20% took up to a week and 5% took up to a month away, with most (44%) saying they wanted more time to do other things and 38% needing more time to talk to friends and family.

However, while 33% felt more productive as a result, 27% found it liberating and 25% enjoyed life more, 16% experienced a "fear of missing out", 15% felt lost and 14% felt "cut-off".

Jane Rumble, director of market intelligence at Ofcom, said: "The internet has revolutionised our lives for the better. But our love affair with the web isn't always plain surfing, and many people admit to feeling hooked."So millions of us are taking a fresh look at the role of technology in our lives, and going on a digital detox to get a better tech-life balance."

The proportion of adults using services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp at least once a week rose from 28% in 2014 to 43% in 2016 - the biggest increase across all communications and media activities.

Instant messaging is considered the single most important means of communication among 16 to 24-year-olds. Emailing and texting remain the most common methods of text communication, but both have decreased since 2014.