Government research also shows number of teenagers browsing web on mobile phones almost doubled in 2011
One in five Britons do not feel safe online, government research shows, as the number of teenagers browsing the web on their mobile phone almost doubled in 2011.
Britons' love affair with the internet continues to grow, with 71% of 16- to 24-year-olds using their iPhone or BlackBerry online, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published on Wednesday.
However, one in five Britons said they do not feel adequately protected online, fearing computer viruses and other attempts to steal their personal information.
Britain continued to close the gap on the digital divide in 2011, according to the study, with 77% of households online compared to 73% in 2010. Despite that, 5.7m households did not have internet access.
Facebook and Twitter drove a boom in internet use among the 19m households with a connection. More than 90% of teenagers and almost a fifth of over-65s said they used social networks.
Britons' appetite for social networks is driving internet use on the go, according to the government figures.
More than 6 million used their mobile phone to browse their web for the first time this year, with the ONS reporting "notable increases" across all age groups. One in two 45- to 64-year-olds sent emails or visited websites on the go this year, compared to just over a third in 2010.
The greatest rise in mobile internet use was among teenagers, as almost three in four 16- to 24-year-olds went online on the go in 2011, compared to 44% in 2010.
Britons' appetite for the internet saw the number using wireless hotpots in restaurants and cafes almost double in the past year, to more than 5 million people.
Despite a government push to get all Britons online, one in five of those without an internet connection said the cost of getting online was still too high. Another fifth of those without the internet said they felt they didn't have the neccesary skills.
But while most Britons are glued to their computer screens, half of those without an internet connection – or about 2.35 million households – said they "don't need the internet".
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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/31/britons-feel-unsafe-online
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