For the first time, 16 to 24 year olds across Europe are using the internet more than they are watching traditional television, according to research from the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA). More than 82 per cent use the internet between five and seven days each week while only 77 per cent watch TV as regularly, a decrease of 5 per cent. Almost half claim their TV consumption has dropped off as a direct result of the internet. Also some 169 million of Europeans access the internet each week according to the study, which shows it is rapidly becoming a hub for all media. Increasingly, users are consuming other media, such as magazines, newspapers, radio and TV while online.

The increase in internet use is a result of the rising popularity of social networks with 42 per cent of internet users communicating via social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Over the past year there has been a 12 per cent rise in the number of over 55 year olds using the internet each week and an 8 per cent increase amongst women. The research also found that the most popular online activities across Europe were search, email, communicating via social networking sites and instant messaging (IM).