UK: Ding dong merrily online?
It looks like an online Christmas for millions as the traditional Christmas day in front of the TV makes way for the internet, with almost 60 per cent of people saying they will spend time online – that’s according to new research from Post Office® Broadband.
56 per cent of people surveyed stated that they would be spending up to an hour online on Christmas day, with emailing and catching up with the news being the most popular online activities.
But with nearly 40 per cent of respondents predicting that other relatives would also be using the family PC on the same day, over 3.6million people in the UK are anticipating Christmas day “mouse rage” – a new phenomenon affecting families who argue over the use of the household computer. People living in the north-east are most likely to hog the mouse, spending up to four hours online.
65 percent of people in the Midlands intend to spend up to an hour online with 45 per cent planning to go online for between one and two hours. And in East Anglia 61 per cent will use the internet for up to an hour. Central Scotland will see 64 per cent of people using the internet for up to an hour and over half of those in North Scotland plan to do the same.
Most popular online Christmas day activities:
1. Emailing (49 per cent)
2. Catching up with the news (35 per cent)
3. Social networking (29 per cent)
4. Instant messaging (29 per cent)
5. Shopping (19 per cent)
Stewart Fox-Mills, Post Office® Broadband manager, said: “Whereas families traditionally fought over the TV remote control on Christmas Day, the growing popularity of computers and the internet means more people will be fighting over the mouse this year. The beauty of broadband is that more than one person can be online at the same time whiles also keeping the phone line free for calls – the perfect antidote to mouse rage.
“Whether people are messaging friends and relatives who cannot be with them or getting an early start on the sales with a spot of online shopping, this research shows how much we value the use of the internet.”
The new Broadband Extra service from the Post Office® allows up to four computers to run from one physical household connection; multiple computers can run wirelessly from this connection too. And customers with Post Office® HomePhone can chat and surf the net at the same time.
