Brits spend twice as much time online

Monday, May 18, 2015 - 10:23 by Simon Crisp

The amount of time people in the UK spend online over the course of a typical week has doubled in the past decade, according to the latest figures from industry regulator, Ofcom.

Back in 2005, we spent roughly 10 hours a week surfing the internet in some shape or form, but today the average is just over 20 hours. And for some people the fact that they are constantly connected to the web via smartphones and tablets will make this figure even higher.

Those aged between 16 and 24 are most likely to spend time online, with the average for this age group hitting 27 hours and 36 minutes per week in 2015.

Interestingly, the analysis also found that 2014 was a period of unprecedented growth in online activity, perhaps as a result of people doing everything from watching video streams to shopping online.

The smartphone revolution has certainly helped to shape the way we use the internet today, as back in 2005 there were very few true smart devices. The report also found 39 per cent of people now watch video online, with the under 24 age group again leading the way in terms of uptake.

The good news is that people are getting more confident about the safety of using the internet, with just 51 per cent of respondents stating that they are worried about how it is being used. With safe shopping online available to everyone and people engaging in activities of all kinds via internet connectivity, there is less concern about the security of web access.

The doubling of the time people spend online per week over the past 10 years is likely to see yet another rapid increase by 2025, when the emerging generation of post-millennials put their habits into practice.