Screen addiction taking hold of Britain

We spend 23 years of our lives in front of a screen reveals new research for the National Lottery Good Causes.

The majority of adults (56%) spend at least seven hours a day in front of a screen, which works out at 106 days a year or 23 years based on the average life expectancy in Britain.[1]

The YouGov survey of over 2,000 adults also shows that:

• Men are more hooked than women, with more than one quarter of all adult men (26%) spending 12 hours or more a day, at least half their lives[2], in front of a tv, computer or laptop, tablet, smartphone or video games player.

• 35% of young adults, aged 18-24, spend 12 hours or more every day, at least half their lives[3], in front of a screen whether that is a tv, computer or laptop, tablet, smartphone or video games player.

• Almost one million young adults [4] (16% of 18-24 year-olds) spend at least five hours every day using their smartphone.
In the last five years, over £2 billion of National Lottery funding has been invested in community sport and health projects.

Jackie O’Sullivan, National Lottery Good Causes spokesperson, said:

“Millions of people are spending most of their lives in front of screens, which can’t be good for them. Our jobs may be a factor but there’s a huge number of screen addicts outside of work. National Lottery players raise over £35 million a week for good causes. This gives everyone a range of low and no cost ways of improving their health and wellbeing. There are thousands of Lottery-funded sports centres, parks, walking and cycling paths across the country. We want people of all ages to take up these opportunities and spend less time staring at a screen.”