‘Dependency’ on digital devices as fifth of Britons spend 40 hours a week online

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 10 years ago, most people now say they need and expect a constant internet connection wherever they go, with 64 per cent of adults describing it as an essential part of their life.

For the first time, the amount of time spent making phone calls from mobiles has fallen as users turn to internet-based services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Only 75 per cent of smartphone owners consider using a mobile for phone calls to be important, compared with 92 per cent who think using the device for the internet is important.

Half of all UK adults say their life would be “boring” without the internet, around a third say they feel cut off or lost without it and 17 per cent find it stressful without a connection.

Some 19 per cent of adults say they spend more than 40 hours a week online, up from five per cent just over 10 years ago, and for the first time this year women spend more time online than men. Overall, people spend an average of 24 hours each week online double the time spent in 2007.

Ian Macrae, of Ofcom, said: “Over the last decade, people’s lives have been transformed by the rise of the smartphone, together with better access to the internet and new services.

“Whether it’s working flexibly, keeping up with current affairs or shopping online, we can do more on the move than ever before. But while people appreciate their smartphone as their constant companion, some are finding themselves feeling overloaded when online, or frustrated when they’re not.”