UK Smartphone Users Spend Two Years Online

Imagine having to spend two years on the Internet. Do you find the idea attractive? Well, according to a new survey from Recombu published this morning, this is exactly what smartphone users in the UK do.

The survey has found that the average smartphone user browses the web about five hours a week. It may not sound like a big deal, but when considered in the long run, this means that two years of their life are spent browsing.

The biggest proportion of those surveyed (40%) use their smartphones to log onto their social networking accounts, while nearly a quarter check their e-mail. Around 22% use their mobile devices to shop online.

Recombu also looked into how smartphone usage affects other areas of consumers’ lives. Apparently, 11% of those polled admit they engage in physical activity less often, while twice as many say they watch less TV. Over a quarter report that they have less time to read books, despite the fact that many people have replaced conventional reading with reading eBooks on their mobile devices.

Perhaps the most curious fact that emerges from the poll is that 18% say they now make fewer phone calls, compared to the time before they had smartphones. Recombu comments that this signals a change in communication trends, with consumers now preferring social sites over person-to-person talking.