Internet usage shoots up in Wiltshire
It looks like time spent online was rising even before the Covid pandemic
More people than ever were regular internet users in Wiltshire in the months leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, according to new figures.
As family Zoom calls, home working and internet shopping have become a larger part of the country's day-to-day lives, over 49 million people are now online across the UK, with a national rise fuelled by a spike in the number of older people using the web.
WEB USE IN WILTSHIRE
In Wiltshire, 94.9% of adults surveyed by the Office for National Statistics between January and March 2020 had been online in the previous three months – an estimated 366,000 residents.
That was up from 92.2% in 2019, and higher than the average across the UK, where 92.1% of over-16s regularly use the internet.
It was also the largest proportion reported since records began in 2011, when 82.0% of adults in Wiltshire were regularly on the internet.
MOST COMMON INTERNET USES
According to the study, these are the most common reasons to reach for the internet:
- Internet banking
- Sending and receiving emails
- Finding information about goods and services
BOOM IN OLDER SURFERS
Although internet use has increased across the UK, 3.4 million people surveyed by the ONS in 2020 said they had never used the web - and more than 60% of them were aged 75 and over.
But the number of older people regularly using the internet is rising rapidly, closing the age gap with younger users.
Last year, 54% of over-75s nationally said they had used the internet in the last three months - up from 47% the year before, and a huge leap from 20% in 2011.
The ONS suggested that the sharp rise in use among older people last year could be partly related to the effects of the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions of people began to head online to stay in touch with friends and family.
However, the figures should not be used as an overall indicator of its impact, the ONS said, as the data was gathered between January and March 2020, just as the coronavirus outbreak began in the UK.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the 2 million over-75s still offline are at risk of being excluded from an "increasingly digital world".
"All older people should have the support and encouragement to get online if they want to but it's essential that those who are offline, for whatever reason, should still be able to access services and support in a way that suits them."
"There's no doubt that technology has been a real lifeline for many older people during the pandemic, with many relying on video calls and email to keep in touch with family and friends. But our research suggests a lack of digital skills and confidence is a barrier that prevents many over-75s getting online, alongside the associated costs." Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Greatest Hits Radio app.