Google and Facebook ‘more popular than Queen's speech’
- Added:
- Jan 05, 2009
More people in the UK were using Google and Facebook on Christmas Day than watching the Queen's speech, according to new research.
Broadband firm Plusnet reported that traffic to Facebook grew steadily between 2pm and 3pm on Christmas Day 2008, the hour before the Queen appeared on television.
By 5pm, traffic had grown by a quarter, with Plusnet claiming people were using the site to get in touch with loved ones.
Facebook was the second most popular site on that day, behind Google, while online retail sites were also popular.
'The study is a good illustration of how the web is changing the face of the traditional Christmas as more people go online for their fun, information and entertainment,' said Neil Armstrong, Plusnet's products director.
'People were very busy staying in touch with friends and family during the afternoon but their attention turned to seasonal bargains later in the evening with more logging onto the shopping sites.'