LONDON – Young people would rather give up watching TV than go without their mobile phones for the first time since an annual media survey began.
Ever since media regulator Ofcom began conducting its research in 2005, TV has consistently come top of the popularity stakes.
But for the first time, 16- to 24- year-olds have said they would miss both their mobile phone (28 per cent) and the internet (26 per cent) more than TV (23 per cent).
Children aged between 12 and 15 are also more attached to their mobile – saying that they would struggle from not having a mobile (26 per cent) more than TV and the internet (24 per cent).
For adults aged 16 and over, TV remains the medium that would be missed the most, but the figure has decreased from 50 per cent in 2009 to 44 per cent in 2010.
Those aged 12 to 15 spend 17.2 hours each week watching TV – with time spent on the internet catching up at 15.6 hours.
The time that adults spend on the internet has also increased from 12.2 hours in 2009 to 14.2 hours in 2010.
Ofcom’s research found that the number of text messages sent by 12- to 15-year-olds has doubled to 113 each week compared to 54 in 2007.
Meanwhile, less than half (40 per cent) of adults, down from 46 per cent in 2005, have concerns about TV such as offensive content (22 per cent), programme quality or repeats (24 per cent).
Ofcom research director James Thickett said: “While TV remains the most used media among younger people, the internet is quickly catching up, and TV is no longer the media that would be missed the most among this age group.
“Younger people are spending longer online,” he added.
Ofcom’s adult media literacy report surveyed 2,117 adults aged 16 and over and the children’s literacy report surveyed 2,071 children aged five to 15 and their parents. – (PA)