The AOP's report this month, My Digital Life, reveals striking generational differences when it comes to the extent and nature of internet use.

As you might expect, perhaps, the report notes that the, "Share and reach of TV and Radio is lower and falling among younger adults (16-24’s)," with the time devoted to on-demand media such as games, DVDs and the Internet.

Young people are also far more likely to make use of social internet sites, such as blogs and social networks, as opposed to websites based upon editorial content.

Fig 1: Use of social networks. (Source: Ofcom Communications Market, 2006)

More than half of young people aged 16 to 24 make use of social websites such as MySpace and Bebo on at least a weekly basis, with many logging on to such sites on a daily basis. The figures drop dramatically to less than 20 per cent in the next oldest age group 25 to 34 year-olds, and again to less than 10 per cent among 34 to 44 year olds. The figures then start to rise again among older users, perhaps indicating that the use of such sites is closely linked to the amount of free time available.

Fig 2: Commenting on blogs. (Source: Ofcom ad-hoc survey, June 2006)

Similar patterns emerge, though less strongly, when it comes to making comments on blog posts. Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of 18 to 24 year-old internet users make comments at least weekly, with the number dropping to half of this in the 25 to 34 age group. According to the research sample, nobody in the younger age group never leaves comments, while 42 per cent of the older age range do not participate in this way.

Other findings cited in the report include:

• Strong growth in internet usage over the past decade (60% of homes now online, 70%
  broadband)
• Internet users are still more likely to be younger and richer than the average
• Particularly high levels of usage in London and the South-East of England
• More than 50% of users go online every day, with average weekly use around
  11 hours (12 for broadband and 5 for dial up)
• Currently music / audio are more widely used than video but all are growing

The full report is available for members of the AOP here.