Super surfers oust couch potatoes

Britons spend an average of 148 minutes watching TV each day

Browsing the internet has overtaken watching TV as the nation's favourite leisure activity, says a new report.

A survey by search engine giant Google has found that Britons with internet access now spend more time surfing the web than watching the box.

The average web user now spends 164 minutes online each day, equal to more than 41 days per year, compared to 148 minutes or 37 days for TV viewers.

Government statistics show that 64% of British adults regularly go online.

Two thirds of those responding to the Google survey said they had increased their time online in the last year, with the biggest increase seen amongst 16-24 year olds.

Men were the biggest internet addicts, spending an average of 172 minutes per day online compared to 156 minutes for women.

A regional breakdown found users in the Greater London area surfing for the longest, at an average of 181 minutes per day.

They were also the biggest online spenders, splashing an average of £517 per year on web-based goods and services.

However, other polls like the Touchpoints survey suggest on an average day internet users spend 100 minutes on the internet and 219 minutes watching television.

Figures from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board suggest that over 15-year-olds watch 248 minutes of television a day.