The Office for National Statistics has released its annual Internet Users in the UK 2020 report which reveals that almost all households in Great Britain – 96%, the highest percentage rate ever recorded – have internet access, and that 100% of households with children in them have internet.

• This figure is 3% higher than last year (93%) and 16% higher than in 2012 (80%).
• 80% of households with just 1 adult aged 65+ now have internet access, a rise from 73% last year.
• Furthermore, the report shows the highest ever number of people using the internet daily or almost every day – reported at 46.6 million people in Great Britain in 2020, up from 45.1 million in 2019 and 29.2 million daily users a decade ago.
• Only 2.7 million adults didn’t use the internet in the last 3 months, compared with 11.1 million adults who didn’t use the internet for 3 months back in 2020.

Today’s statistics also reveal what Brits use the internet for, figures which are cause for concern for addiction treatment experts UKAT.

The 2020 data shows that a staggering 85% of internet use by Brits in the last 3 months was to send/receive emails. This is compared to just 81% for internet based information searches, and 70% for social networking.

UKAT therapists warn this could be a sign of a society unable to ‘switch off’ as they warn that 1 in 3 of all patients treated in rehab also harbour an internet addiction.

They say that online working, social media, online shopping, gaming, gambling or pornography addictions are revealed in over a third of some 200 patients they treat each month, when the patient hasn’t been primarily admitted for these addiction types.

Managing Director Eytan Alexander believes that a world in which people live their lives continuously online and not in real time are risking their mental health; 

“Internet use is as normal as breathing for almost all adults in the UK. But the addictive nature of it is a relatively new yet very real and concerning phenomenon.

“The internet has created a world in which we can always work, socialise, source information, create, game, shop, and never switch off. Most adults have healthy relationships with the internet, but some people are over-using and living online rather than in real time which can ultimately lead to dependency.

“Today’s report shows that 100% of households who have children have internet access. Kids will grow up with the internet and not know any different, but we must be conscious of encouraging ‘down time’ and non-internet based fun because unfortunately with internet addiction, we fear the worst is yet to come, especially for our younger and future generations.”