Almost two thirds of people now admit they ‘need’ the internet to function in everyday life, according to new research. The study of 2,000 people has found that, on average, we only go a maximum of 90 minutes during the day without checking Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.
Staggeringly, one in ten even admit they don’t go longer than ten minutes during the day without logging on to catch up with friends or work.
The study, conducted by domain name specialists Siteopia, also found a surprising shift towards mobile technology, as 10% of people now access the internet primarily on their mobile, with 5% accessing primarily via tablet.
In fact, the average internet user can now get online via three different devices- 10% can access on a massive five separate devices, highlighting the increased reach of web-ready games consoles and smart TVs.
A Siteopia spokesman commented on the findings, saying:
“The internet is now such a big part of our lives that it’s no surprise so many of us rely on it to function day to day, but it’s important to acknowledge the high proportion of people who feel they cannot go without – with many saying 90 minutes is the longest they can be offline.
“Like everything, it’s important to recognize what enhances and benefits our day to day lives, while making sure we focus on quality sites and services that add convenience and enrich our routines rather than simply fill time.”
With such widespread access, it’s not surprising that only 45% of respondents could confidentially say they aren’t addicted to the internet.
In fact, men clock up over 19 hours a week online – more than 42 solid days each year, and over a third longer than women, who only spend 14 hours per week surfing the web.
75% even admit they have already been online before 9am every day, with almost one in five checking their e-mail or catching up on social media during their commute to work.
With all that time spent online, there’s obviously a lot to hide- almost one in five men delete their browser history every day, with a slightly-less-concerned 45% of men deleting their browser history at least once a week.
The dependance on the internet is even stronger for some, as a massive 62% now do all their banking online- a third even admit they do all of their clothes shopping online, with free returns and delivery becoming an ever more common feature.
The survey also looked at the general surfing habits of men and women, with the ladies still more likely to go online for Facebook or online shopping- while men lean towards news, Twitter, and NSFW material.
Interestingly though, the research revealed that men and women now spend the same amount of time searching for gossip about their favorite celebrities.
Men are also twice as likely to take to online gaming, whilst also downloading more music and watching more videos.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, men are four times more likely to access porn or NSFW material, while one in eight women admit to going online to view adult material each week.
The Siteopia spokesman continued:
“The results showed men to be the biggest internet users, spending more time reading the news and show a much bigger tendency for gaming online.
“It’s interesting to see men now consume as much celebrity news as women, while there were also clear patterns between different forms of social media, with women the bigger Facebook users while men devote more time to Twitter on average.”
