One in three adult internet users in the United Kingdom have taken a break from the internet, an Ofcom study has revealed.
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Ofcom’s annual communications market report found that nearly one in three adults had tried to go offline for a while.
Of these, 25 per cent said they spent up to a day internet-free; 20 per cent took up to a week off; and five per cent went web-free for up to a whole month.
However, while 33% felt more productive as a result, 27% found it liberating and 25% enjoyed life more, 16% experienced a “fear of missing out”, 15% felt lost and 14% felt “cut-off”.
Millions of holiday-goers are purposely abandoning technology. Thirty percent of United Kingdom adults have done some form of digital detox holiday.
This was partly due to a sharp increase in people switching to superfast broadband, with 9.2 million homes having speeds of up to 30Mbps in 2015 compared with 7.1 million in 2014.
Holidays are a popular detoxing opportunity, with one in six adults now deliberately booking holidays to places without internet access.
The Ofcom report found adults in Scotland spend about 20.9 hours online each week – with 60 per cent saying they’re hooked and 20 per cent stressed without their mobile phones.
“The internet has revolutionised our lives for the better”. The same proportion felt more up-to-date with news and current affairs.
Telecoms regulator Ofcom said adults across the United Kingdom spend an average of 25 hours online in just seven days, with 59 percent of users admitting they are “hooked” to the information superhighway. Teens and those aged between 16 and 24 spend much more time online.
Meanwhile, 63 per cent said the internet has inspired them to try new things, such as recipes, travel destinations, restaurants and entertainment.
As a effect, parents are increasingly taking devices away from children or restricting their usage.
But the report shows a narrowing digital generational gap, with the proportion of 55 to 64-year-olds with internet access increasing from 82% in 2015 to 87%, while 51% use social media and 42% use on-demand services in an average week.
And 12% say they accidentally bump into people on the street while swiping through social media.
Total UK communications revenue (telecoms, TV, radio and postal services) grew by 0.9 percent or GBP 0.4 billion in 2015 to reach GBP 56.5 billion, according to the latest Ofcom Communications Market report. Four in 10 felt that they were regularly ignored by a friend or relative who was too engrossed in their smartphone or tablet.
The research also suggests some people are choosing to text or instant message friends and family instead of talking face-to-face, even though they’re sitting in the same room. Just over a quarter of United Kingdom adults (26 percent) said this occurred at home, while a third of teenagers (32 percent) have done so at school.
Jane Ramble, director of market intelligence at Ofcom, said: “Smartphones are a great way of staying up to date with what’s happening at home and at work, but today six in 10 people have said they are hooked on these portable devices and I think it’s that shift that is causing people to reflect on this and made a decision to get a bit of a breather”.
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Vicki Nash, Ofcom director in Scotland, said: “As Scots get more connected, many admit to feeling hooked”.
