Around 49% of under-12s in UK said that they would be ‘sad’ without internet while one in five would be ‘lonely.’ according to a new survey.
The report, from Intersperience, polled 1,000 youngsters between the ages of eight and 18 surveyed in the ‘Digital Futures’ project, which tried to gauge the impact of online and digital technology in their lives.
The study indicates that 60% of teenagers reported that they would be sad if deprived of internet connection, while 48% said they would be lonely.
More than 70% of teenagers chat on Facebook, though they are still keen on real-life interactions.
Intersperience Chief Executive Paul Hudson said the fact that children have a strong emotional attachment to the internet is often regarded as a negative thing but in fact it is perfectly natural for a generation whose social life is largely online.
Among under-12s, 74% used internet for playing online games, 65% for homework and more than a third to look for things to buy or sell.