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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest ManIn the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliationTalking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
-
How cybercriminals are hacking into the heart of the US economySpeed Read Ransomware attacks have become a global epidemic, with more than $18.6bn paid in ransoms in 2020
-
Language-learning apps speak the right lingo for UK subscribersSpeed Read Locked-down Brits turn to online lessons as a new hobby and way to upskill
-
Brexit-hobbled Britain ‘still tech powerhouse of Europe’Speed Read New research shows that UK start-ups have won more funding than France and Germany combined over past year
-
Playing Cupid during Covid: Tinder reveals Britain’s top chat-up lines of the yearSpeed Read Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Dominic Cummings among most talked-about celebs on the dating app
-
Brits sending one less email a day would cut carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnesSpeed Read UK research suggests unnecessary online chatter increases climate change
-
Reach for the Moon: Nokia and Nasa to build 4G lunar networkSpeed Read Deal is part of the US space agency’s plan to establish human settlements on the lunar surface
-
iPhone 12 launch: what we learned from the Apple ‘Hi, Speed’ eventSpeed Read Tech giant unveils new 5G smartphone line-up
-
Russian agency behind US election meddling ‘created fake left-wing news site’Speed Read Facebook says real reporters were hired by fake editors to write about US corruption
