Downloading on the up

We are a nation of download addicts, with eight in 10 (80 per cent) Brits having downloaded from the internet in the last 12 months.

The study of downloading habits, by moneysupermarket.com, shows whilst the 18 to 34 year olds remain the key downloading demographic (89 per cent), those aged over 55 are catching up with 71 per cent of them downloading from the internet.

The most commonly downloaded files are music (50 per cent) followed by software updates (46 per cent), photos (26 per cent) and games (26 per cent). In addition, nearly one in ten (seven per cent) admit to downloading adult content.

For silver-surfers music is also still top of the pops with over a quarter (28 per cent) downloading their favourite hits from the internet. This is closely followed by photos (21 per cent), TV programmes (nine per cent) and radio programmes (nine per cent).

Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, said: “Our research reveals people’s appetite for downloading has grown and is now an everyday occurrence. This is a trend that is likely to continue as websites such as You Tube and on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer become more popular.

“It’s great to see the older generations are embracing technology and becoming accustomed to the internet and downloading – it won’t be long until they catch up with the more tech savvy twenty something’s!”

On the whole most people choose to download on their home computer. Although employers should be aware a not so conscientious six per cent of employees admit their main source of downloading is at work. One in 10 (11 per cent) people download between 21 and 100 files a month and on average people spend £12.83 each month.

Barnes continues; “This massive increase in downloading also partly explains why broadband packages with unlimited download capacities are hugely popular amongst consumers. However, its important to remember a truly unlimited download capacity is now almost a myth. Most providers have a fair usage policy in place, meaning they can implement measures to control how much you download if they feel you’re downloading too much material too often.”