Caught in the Net of the UK’s Phenomenal Growth Trends
At first glance, the innovative changes brought about by the Internet appear limited to the communications industry. Prior to the advent of the Internet, iconic telephone booths peppered the UK landscape. Video store rentals, telephone land lines, and usage of the post office were commonplace. Fast-forward to the present day – the landscape looks entirely different. The United Kingdom is a burgeoning market of FinTech, innovative technology, and mass communication. The Internet of things has devoured convention and created new industries throughout Britain.
The dramatic rise of mobile technology is a case in point. Consider that the average time spent by users browsing their laptops, PCs or smartphones in the UK is now 30 hours 42 minutes (statistics from March 2016). The number of UK residents with SME broadband lines and fixed residential lines is now 24.7 million+ (EOY 2015), and fixed broadband providers in the United Kingdom have increased their market share accordingly. British Telecom accounts for 32% of the market, Virgin Media 19%, TalkTalk 13%, Sky 23%, EE 4%, and others 8%.
Major Changes in the Way We Communicate with One Another
9.2 million UK residents have Superfast fixed broadband, and 73% of adults use social networking sites. As at Q1 2016, Tech Tracker confirmed that 66% of people in the UK access the Internet via their smartphones and tablets. Email is perhaps the most disruptive force for decreased sales volumes at the post office, and this is evident with the comparative differences between 2014 addressed letter revenues and volumes and 2015 addressed letter revenues and volumes. Consider that the former figure amounted to £4.3 billion and 12.7 billion items in 2014, and decreased to £4.2 billion and 12.2 billion items by 2015. For 2016 and the current year, these trends are declining further.
The UK online dating industry is yet another example of how we are communicating differently with one another since the Internet boom. Gone are the days where people would rush to the local pub, or the movie theater in search of company. Now, Britons are seeking their soulmates, companions and love interests on the Internet. According to Rubexa statistics, there have been major changes in people’s opinions towards online dating since 2005. The number of people who agree that online dating is a good way to meet people has increased sharply from just over 40% in 2005 to well over 50% by 2013. Similar trends are available across all categories. This includes the opinion that online dating allows people to find a better match, and people who use online dating are considered less desperate (2013 versus 2005).
As people become more familiar with the Internet, they are doing extensive research on their matches once they meet them on the Internet. In terms of demographics and features, most people are attracted to blonde-haired people or black-haired people, with a minority of people attracted to redheads and bald people. The percentage of women who are involved in online dating is 47.6%, compared to 52.4% for men. A full 20% of relationships now begin online, while 81% of Britons lie about their features, and 71% have a favourable view of love at first sight.
The UK Gaming Industry is on the Rise
Convention has been upended in gaming as well. In the days of old, UK gaming patrons would go to the arcade to play their favourite games, perhaps even the local bingo parlour of which there were thousands throughout Britain. The arrival of broadband Internet has completely reshaped the gaming industry. A popular pastime in Britain is bingo – 90 ball bingo to be precise. The game is enjoyed by the young at heart – men and women alike.
Traditional bingo games are typically hosted at land-based venues throughout Britain, from Cornwall to Brighton, to London and Manchester. Bingo is enjoyed throughout the UK, including Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. However, a notable trend has taken place in recent years – declining numbers of land-based bingo halls. This has nothing to do with the popularity of the game – on the contrary. The rise of online bingo rooms has captured an ever-increasing share of the bingo market, with widespread appeal among a younger demographic.
Increasing Popularity of Online Gaming
Part of the reason traditional bingo halls lost favour with players is the move to ban smoking, and the popularity of fully regulated online bingo rooms. Unlike the traditional bingo halls, online bingo rooms provide entertainment in abundance. Players get to enjoy the comfort, cost and convenience of anytime, anywhere gaming, thanks to mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a host of bingo side games (slots, scratch cards, casino games etc.).
According to reports, there were some 600 bingo clubs in 2005, and that number dropped to 384 by 2014. The growth in the global bingo market – for online and land-based bingo has increased year on year between 2014 and 2017. Consider that Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) estimates total revenues of $13.31 billion for the current year, up from $11.79 billion in 2013.