A full 57 percent of Europeans now regularly access the internet each week according to research announced by the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA).
That equates to 169 million people now frequently online across the ten European markets surveyed in the study.
For the first time ever, 16-24 year olds are now accessing the internet more frequently than they are watching TV -- 82 percent of this younger demographic use the internet between 5 and 7 days each week while only 77 percent watch TV as regularly (a decrease of 5 percent since last year).
Moreover, 16-24 year olds also spend 10 percent more time surfing the internet than sat in front of the television and almost half (48 percent) claim their TV consumption has dropped off as a direct result of the internet.
The continued popularity of the internet amongst silver surfers and digital women has also been a key factor in driving the growth of online. Since 2006, there has been a 12 percent rise in the number of 55+ year olds using the internet each week and an 8 percent increase amongst women.
Time spent online is also on the up. European internet users are spending a lengthy 11.9 hours online each week and nearly a third (29 percent) are recognised as heavy internet users as they spend an average of 16 hours or more online each week -- representing more than 48 million people.
While youth are putting online ahead of TV, internet consumption is in fact still hot on the heels of TV consumption amongst all demographics across Europe. Three quarters (75 percent) of all internet users go online between 5 and 7 days per week, an increase from 61 percent in 2004. However, the number that watch TV has remained stable at 86 percent for the last three years.
The internet is rapidly becoming a hub for all media with internet users increasingly consuming media such as magazines, newspapers, radio and TV digitally.
That equates to 169 million people now frequently online across the ten European markets surveyed in the study.
For the first time ever, 16-24 year olds are now accessing the internet more frequently than they are watching TV -- 82 percent of this younger demographic use the internet between 5 and 7 days each week while only 77 percent watch TV as regularly (a decrease of 5 percent since last year).
Moreover, 16-24 year olds also spend 10 percent more time surfing the internet than sat in front of the television and almost half (48 percent) claim their TV consumption has dropped off as a direct result of the internet.
The continued popularity of the internet amongst silver surfers and digital women has also been a key factor in driving the growth of online. Since 2006, there has been a 12 percent rise in the number of 55+ year olds using the internet each week and an 8 percent increase amongst women.
Time spent online is also on the up. European internet users are spending a lengthy 11.9 hours online each week and nearly a third (29 percent) are recognised as heavy internet users as they spend an average of 16 hours or more online each week -- representing more than 48 million people.
While youth are putting online ahead of TV, internet consumption is in fact still hot on the heels of TV consumption amongst all demographics across Europe. Three quarters (75 percent) of all internet users go online between 5 and 7 days per week, an increase from 61 percent in 2004. However, the number that watch TV has remained stable at 86 percent for the last three years.
The internet is rapidly becoming a hub for all media with internet users increasingly consuming media such as magazines, newspapers, radio and TV digitally.