Social networks ‘an increasing part of everyday life’

A growing number of people may be using social networking sites to keep up-to-date with friends and share photos that will be printed using ink cartridges.

New research by Ofcom revealed three-fifths of adult internet users have a profile on at least one service, with two-thirds of these saying they visit such websites every day.

This is up from just one in three who interacted with social networks on a daily basis in 2007.

A growing number of people are also taking advantage of new technology to keep in touch when they are on the move, as the number of individuals accessing sites such as Facebook and Twitter from mobile gadgets has risen from 15 per cent in 2010 to 29 per cent last year.

Overall, 79 per cent of adults in the UK say they now use the internet every day on any device – a rise of 20 percentage points compared with 2005 – with the average user now online for over 15 hours a week.

However, the research also revealed many people are still willing to take risks with their online security.

A quarter of users said personal information on their social network accounts can potentially be seen by people they do not know, while one in six are happy to share contact details outside of people they are directly friends with.

Concerns over online safety have also fallen recent years, the study found. In 2005, seven out of ten individuals stated they were worried about the potential risks of going online, but by 2011, this had dropped to 50 per cent of users.

While the number of people who are happy offering their credit card information online has remained mostly unchanged from 2005, there has been a rise in the number seeking more formal indicators of good security, with 56 per cent saying they look for padlock symbols and system messages in 2011, compared with 43 per cent in 2005.

Recently, a study by Boston Consulting Group revealed Brits place an average value of £2,175 per year on their ability to access the internet.