In April 2020, during the height of lockdown, adults in the United Kingdom spent a daily average of four hours and two minutes online, up from just under three and a half hours in September 2019, according to Ofcom’s annual Online Nation report.
As lockdown progressed and with people seeking new ways to keep connected, informed, entertained and fit during the pandemic, emerging video-sharing and video-calling services were surging in popularity. The study found that the TikTok video platform reached 12.9 million UK adult visitors in April, up from just 5.4 million in January. Live video streaming platform Twitch, popular among e-sports users and gamers, saw visitors increase from 2.3 million to 4.2 million adults.
Furthermore, the report found that nine in ten online adults, and almost all older children aged 8-15, used at least one of YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram or TikTok in the last year, with many watching videos several times a day. Just under a third (32%) of online adults admitted that now spends more time viewing video-sharing services than broadcast television.
Ofcom’s annual Online Nation report also found that UK adult visitors to YouTube spent an average of 28 minutes 52 seconds on the site per day in September 2019; while those aged 18-24 spent more than twice as long at one hour and five minutes. During lockdown in April, average daily time spent on YouTube increased to 43 minutes and 7 seconds among adult visitors, and to one hour 32 minutes among 18-24.
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