Brits shun TV for web

Brits spend more time surfing the web these days than watching TV, research conducted for Google has found.

The average UK internet user spends 164 minutes online every day - the equivalent of about 41 days per year - but watches TV for only 148 minutes per day - or 37 days per year.

Two-thirds (66 per cent) of the 1,030 people surveyed said they had increased their use of the internet over the last year, with the biggest growth seen among 16- to 24-year-olds.

Men use the internet more than women - going online for 172 minutes per day, compared to 156 minutes for women. Shopping has become one of the most popular online activities, with internet users now spending an average of £446 online each year.

Internet users in London were found to spend the most time online, followed by people in Scotland.

The survey supports research from Ofcom, which last week said that more people than ever are logging on to the internet and turning away from television.

According to the entertainment regulator, Brits watched less television last year than the year before as 2.2 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds switched on to other technologies.

Last year US consumers were found to spend the same amount of time on the internet as they spend watching TV – a total of 14 hours per week on each.