Digital Britain

"As a whole people are using communications services more than they were five years ago," said James Thickett, Ofcom's research director.

The 330-page report takes a comprehensive look at the way Britons use new and old media and reveals a nation in love with its media, gadgets and hi-tech gear.

The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio. However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years.

Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.

The report, the fourth annual survey from Ofcom, revealed big differences in the technologies that different sectors of the population prefer.

Among Britons aged 25-34, women account for 55% of the time this group spends online 16% of Britons aged 65+ spend 42 hours per month online - more than any other age group

More than 75% of 11 year olds have their own TV, games console and mobile phone

15% of 13-15 year olds and 7% of 10 year olds have their own webcam

Young people now spend as much time on their mobile phone as they do playing computer and console games. Proving more popular among younger people are mobile music players and using the net.

Declining among younger people was listening to the radio and playing video and computer games.

"Young people have always had a lot of distractions for their time," said Alison Winter, head of research at commercial radio's industry body Radio Centre.

Research carried out by the Radio Centre showed, she said, that although overall hours of listening among some groups are falling people are being smarter about how they listen.

Many sought out podcasts or looked online for shows they had missed, said Ms Winter.

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