In a survey out today, commissioned by broadband provider Bulldog Communications and carried out by YouGov, 42% say they have to wait their turn before they get to use the net and 36% say that, at peak times of the day, two or more people in their useholds are waiting to use the
internet.
One in three of us admit to spending more than 16 hours a week on the web and 61% worry they should be outside rather than stuck indoors on the computer.
The battle of the sexes is going on-line as well. 36% of couples argue over the time their partner spends on the internet. Women are being wound up the most – almost twice as many women (36%) as men admitted that internet surfing is leading to relationship tension. And parents say they argue with children over time spent on the computer more than pocket money or phone usage.
Getting broadband seems to help – 13% of those polled say they argue less about who is using the internet since they got it. For the 18% of people who still have slow ‘dial-up’ connections, the wait can be very long indeed.
We are becoming a nation of internet addicts. Everyone needs their daily internet fix and, for some, it is becoming an obsession. One in ten admitted to spending over four hours a day browsing the web at home. Over one in three (36%) admitted that they spend 16 hours a week or more on the web. It’s not just the young who are on the whole time – indeed more over 55s admit to spending more than ten hours a week on the web compared to those under 34 (52% compared to 44%).
This obsession comes with the price of guilt. 61% of the population sometimes feel that, instead of staying indoors surfing the net, they should be outside enjoying the summer weather and 50% of people feel guilty about it.
Some households are beating the queues by having two or more computers. This means that each family member can download quicker and so have more time to pursue other activities. High-speed broadband, such as Bulldog’s 8 meg offering, gives households the opportunity to have two or more computers online at the same time.
Fast Facts
- According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), in the fourth quarter of 2004, 52 per cent of households in the UK (12.6 million) could access the Internet from home
- According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), broadband overtook dial-up in May 2005, making up 50.7 per cent of all net connections
