Britons check their phones every 12 minutes
According to a report by regulator Ofcom, Britons check their smartphones every 12 minutes.
The regulator’s annual Communications Market Report found that the technological revolution of the past decade has led to a major change in the behaviour of most Britons.
Compared to ten years ago, more people now say that they expect and need the ability to be online no matter where they are, with 64% of adults considering Internet access a crucial part of their lives.
Ofcom’s findings mark the first time that mobile phone users report making fewer phone calls, as more people prefer to communicate via Internet-based applications such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
About 75% of people who own smartphones think that using them to make phone calls is important, while 92% consider using their phones to browse the Internet important.
Some 50% of UK adults report that they would have a “boring” life without Internet access. Around one-third say that they feel lost or cut off without the Internet, and 17% say that they feel stressed when they do not have a connection.
Adults are spending more time online, with 19% reporting that they go online more than 40 hours each week compared with 5% who did so ten years ago. Women are now online more than men for the first time.
The average amount of time spent online for all adults is 24 hour per week, which is twice the amount of time spent online in 2007.
About 40% of adults report looking at their smartphones within five minutes of getting up in the morning, while 37% look at their phones five minutes before going to bed.