Study reveals millions scroll online as soon as their alarm goes off
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A third of Brits are planning to reduce their screen time as part of their new year’s resolutions. Britons reach for their mobile phone as soon as they wake up – with spikes in network traffic detected immediately after 6am, 7am and 8am, figures show.
![[Half of those polled admitted to previous unsuccessful attempts to reduce screen time.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/04/22/12/newFile-1.jpg)
Millions of people pick up their phone on the hour – likely when most alarms are set for – and begin scrolling, Virgin Media O2 data suggests. A separate survey for the operator found that more than a third of Britons (35%) are planning to reduce their screen time as part of their new year’s resolutions.
The firm said the morning data jumps had emerged as part of its broadband network analysis, which it said was a reliable indicator of the connectivity habits of the British public. It found three jumps – evident almost immediately following the hours of 6am, 7am and 8am – suggesting people reach for their phones to turn off their alarms and immediately begin scrolling.
Some 81% of Britons said they reached for their phones first thing most days, with 75% immediately checking their social media feeds and more than half (52%) checking news feeds. A fifth (21%) said they looked at the day’s forecast, while 18% checked for disruptions to their commute.
Some 6% scanned the stock market before they got out of bed. As well as a third of people looking to reduce their screen time, three quarters said they were hoping to improve their mental health – with a further two thirds (65%) wanting to sleep better.
