Most of us would agree that Internet access plays a significant role in our day-to-day lives but is it really more important than food or sleep? That apparently appears to be the case based on a recent study released by U.K. broadband provider TP-Link.
Specifically, the survey found that during a regular 24 hour day, 50 percent of people dedicate more time to the Internet than to food or sleep. Broken down further, a full 42 percent of men said Internet access and sex were more important than food or shelter.
When an Internet connection fails, 82 percent of respondents said they feel frustration or anger - no real surprise there as I believe most of us would agree with this finding.
"As our recent research shows, in the current increasingly digital world, quick and easy connectivity is one of the main concerns in people's minds in the UK," said Eric Wang, Country Manager at TP-Link.
The study found that Internet access can also have some positive effects on individuals. For example, 51 percent of people said they have improved friendships due to Internet access while a quarter of respondents said they feel a greater sense of belonging thanks to the web. Social networks and the like no doubt play into this metric. Only seven percent of those polled said they experienced an improvement in their love lives, however.
Data from the study was collected by TP-Link across the U.K. and Ireland during February and March of this year. The company used a sample size of 3,000 people - both male and female - between the ages of 18 and 55, we're told.