UK pensioners spend over 40 hours a month surfing the net

Pensioners in the United Kingdom spend over 40 hours surfing the Internet, according to a survey.

London, Aug.23 : Pensioners in the United Kingdom spend over 40 hours surfing the Internet, according to a survey.

In contrast, their younger counterparts spend 37.9 hours on the net.

A greater interest in hobbies, news and local issues among the elderly is believed to be driving the trend, which sees over-65s account for nine per cent of all time spent online in the UK, The Daily Mail reported.

The figures, from a report by media regulator Ofcom, debunk the traditional image of pensioners as technophobes.

Although only 16 per cent of over-65s said they had used the internet at home in the 30-day period covered by the report, those that did use it, stayed online for longer than any other age group.

And the trend is likely to continue for decades to come, with over-50s now accounting for a quarter of all UK internet users.

Across all generations, average daily internet use in 2006 was 36 minutes, up 158 per cent on 2002.

The UK Communications Market 2007 report, which analyses Britain's media consumption patterns, also revealed that the Internet seems to be growing in popularity with women.

Of time spent online by those aged between 25 and 49, more than 50 percent focused on shopping and parenting sites.

The report also unveiled a trend away from computer games and watching DVDs among children. owever, instead of marking a return to active outdoor pursuits, the figures simply reflect a move towards youngsters using the internet and using mobile phones and MP3 players.

Between 2005 and 2007, the proportion of children playing computer games dipped by about ten per cent.

The proportion watching DVDs and videos went down by about 20 per cent in the same period, as did the number who regularly listened to the radio. Similar trends were evident in the adult population.

The study provides a telling insight into how technological advances are affecting our habits when it comes to the media.

ANI