We spend nine hours a day glued to screens

WORRYING about the amount of time you spend staring at screens?

You’re right to be concerned – we spend an average of nine hours a day glued to computers, TVs and mobile phones, a study says.

This means that someone who reaches the age of 80 will have spent 30 years staring at a screen – 37.5 per cent of their lifetime.

It equates to around 63 hours a week, 274 hours a month or 132 days a year.

A survey by money-saving website netvouchercodes.co.uk asked people to log their screen-based activities at home and work, excluding time spent at the cinema.

The findings come as Ofcom reveals British internet users download more data than people in other nations, leading the researchers to believe we also top the chart for spending time staring at screens.

Steve Barnes, of netvouchercodes.co.uk, said the results of the study showed the UK’s obsession with technology.

He added: ‘I’m not sure why the British seem to have taken new

‘We just love to feel connected’

technology to their hearts more than those in other nations but it’s clear that we have.

‘Many of us work in offices of course and most of those will spend a significant proportion of their time looking at a computer monitor.

‘When it’s time to go home many people will check their messages on their phones or read a book on their e-reader or tablet. And of course, once they get through the door the telly goes on.’

He added that one reason for the high figure could be the boom in social networking sites, with people reliant on screens from early childhood.

‘Social media is huge and the integration of sites such as Facebook and Twitter onto mobile platforms has encouraged usage of these devices,’ he said.

‘It seems we just love to feel connected and the best way of doing that is through a device with a screen of some kind.

‘It’s also true of course that technology has enabled people to save huge amounts of money by accessing deals which are only available online or through a mobile app.’