Social networking use jumps in the UK

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Facebook and Twitter might sound like old news, but they and other social networking sites are continuing to spread in the UK.

According to a new Ofcom report, 38 per cent of UK web users now have a profile on such a site, up from 22 per cent in 2007.

In addition, the number of people checking social networking sites every day jumped from 30 per cent to 41 per cent. On the upside, three-quarters have learned to keep their profile private, showing privacy and security concerns are starting to be realised.

Digital divide

The digital divide seems to be slowly closing, with 41 per cent of seniors now online and 51 per cent of poor people with access from home. Still, across the UK, 73 per cent of the UK has internet access at home.

While cost is more likely to be a reason to not get online than it was in 2007, not everyone wants access. Indeed, lack of interest is the main reason people don’t have access.

And although most of us are happily shopping online, one in five said they would never use their credit card to buy from the web.

Earlier this week, a digital inclusion report suggested getting everyone online would boost the economy by £22 billion.

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