Most people now depend on digital devices

A fifth of British adults now spend more than 40 hours a week online and most say they are dependent on their digital devices, according to Ofcom findings.

A decade of technological revolution has transformed the behaviour of Britons, who now need constant connection to the internet and check their smartphones on average every 12 minutes of the waking day, the regulator’s annual Communications Market Report said.

In contrast to just ten years ago, most people now say they need a constant internet connection wherever they go, with 64 per cent of adults describing it as an essential. For the first time, the amount of time spent making phone calls has fallen as users turn to services such as Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger.