Unintentional phone use to reach average of four years and eight months

An estimated 14 million people in the UK spend more than half of their phone time without a clear purpose (Alamy/PA) -

People in the UK are set to spend an average of four years and eight months over an average lifespan using their mobile phones unintentionally, according to a study.

The year-long study of more than 6,000 participants by Virgin Media O2 found that more than a third of phone use (36%) takes place without a clear purpose – equivalent to around one hour and 26 minutes each day.