20 July 2007
Broadband-obsessed Britons are spending more time catching up with friends on virtual social networking sites than meeting up with them in real life, uSwitch has found.
According to figures from the independent price comparison and switching site, nearly 800,000 people in the UK spend 24 days per year online chatting to friends over the internet via sites like Facebook and MySpace, compared to 22 days socialising with friends face-to-face.
uSwitch has revealed that with around 13 million homes in the UK connected to a broadband service, the average UK broadband user devotes around 34 whole days per year using the internet, an average of 15 hours per week.
Indeed, the statistics are even more interesting given that we now spend more days using the internet than we do eating and drinking (21 days per year) and on our personal grooming habits (11 days per year).
"We are not surprised to find that the average internet user is spending nearly a week a year socialising online," Steve Weller, Head of Communications Services at uSwitch.com, said.
"It's very exciting to see Britain taking broadband by the scruff of the neck and making full use of the online world in today's demanding 24/7 environment.
"The uptake of broadband in the past few years has been nothing short of explosive and this will certainly continue, especially with the constant innovation in the market," he added.
Yet he urged consumers to think about whether they are paying over the odds for their current internet connection.
The advice comes as 74% of broadband customers in the UK admit that they have not switched supplier in the last year, perhaps paying too more for their love of social networking than necessary.
So much choice, but don't panic - it's easy to get yourself a great deal on broadband using uSwitch.com. If you're confused about technicalities, the help pages throughout our calculator are on hand at each step of the sign up process to answer all your questions. Find providers in your area and compare packages using our free and impartial service. Sign up to broadband today.
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