More than a third of UK internet users have tried a "digital detox", according to a new study by media and telecoms watchdog Ofcom.The regulator found that the soaring amount of time we spend online is leading to lost sleep, neglected housework and less time spent with family and friends.Weekly internet use has more than doubled, with UK adults saying they spend 25 hours a week online, up from nine hours in 2005. However, the survey of 2,050 adults and 500 teenagers found more than one in three had taken a "digital detox" at some point last year, suggesting around 15 million Brits had deliberately spent time offline.
With 59 per cent of respondents saying they were "hooked" on their devices, the report paints a picture of a nation enthralled to its digital devices.
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Of those who took a digital detox, just a quarter said they enjoyed life more. Some found the experience unsettling, with 16 per cent saying they felt as if they were missing out and eight per cent saying they felt anxious.
Ofcom's director of market intelligence Jane Rumble said: "There are many benefits of spending time online, but also people are beginning to reflect on just how much this takes up of their daily lives and taking steps to redress the balance."