Sociable Scots top UK online league table

People in Scotland use online social networking sites more than those in any other part of the UK, a study has shown.

The survey by BT revealed that about 48 per cent of those using the internet in Scotland regularly access social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, compared with 20 per cent in Northern Ireland and almost 43 per cent in Wales.

In England, the figures are 33 per cent in the North-east, 39 per cent in the South-west and 45.7 per cent in London.

Social networks are equal to news and current affairs websites in terms of popularity north of the Border, with those sites also regularly accessed by slightly more than 48 per cent of Scottish internet surfers.

These sites were closely followed by information websites, such as Wikipedia, at almost 43 per cent, and online shopping at just over 41 per cent.

The survey, involving more than 2,000 people earlier this year, also showed that women are twice as dependent on social media as men.

An estimated 18 per cent of women, compared with only 7 per cent of men admitted they would miss social networking sites the most if the internet no longer existed.

BT Scotland director Brendan Dick said: “This research makes it clearer than ever how Scotland and the UK as a whole have embraced the internet across all aspects of life and, in particular, shows the different way UK men and women use the internet.

“People now take for granted that they can manage their life all in one place, from shopping and banking to entertainment and social media.”