The balance of time spent on the Internet is being talked up to the same level as the ‘work-life balance.’ The focus, of course, is on how much time spent gazing into a screen is too much? While there are no easy answers to such questions, the general population seems polarized between those who can switch off and take downtime from using the Internet and those who are effectively addicted to the digital realm.
This dichotomy is brought out in a new survey carried out in the U.K. by the regulatory body Ofcom ( Office of Communications.) The quasi-governmental organization conducted a study of 2,025 adults and 500 teenagers, with the results published as the “Communications Market Report.”
The report has some interesting findings. For starters, 34 percent of Internet users feel able to — and have actively decided to — take up to a month’s break away from interacting with the World Wide Web. However, the big contrast is that 59 percent of those polled declared themselves to be hooked to mobile devices. While device use can vary, around 30 percent confessed they found it difficult to disconnect from the Internet.
The impact of Internet ‘addiction’ is clear from the survey. With the teenage contingent, 25 percent admitted being late for school because of time spent online.; and 60 percent said it was a reason why they fell behind with homework. With adults, 40 percent complained that their partner often spent too much time online and less time engaging with them. The average adult is spending 25 hours online per week.
Interviewed by the BBC in relation to the report, Andrew Przybylski, a psychologist from the Oxford Internet Institute, commented that the research reflects a growing paradox in everyday life, which is: “Three in four say it brings us in closer touch, but nearly one in two think technology can get in the way.”
The numbers produced relate to the U.K., and while the percentages may vary and the hours spend surfing differing slightly, the findings are probably representative of many parts of the world.
