More than one in five Brits would rather use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family instead of speaking to directly them using a mobile or landline phone, according to new research by TalkTalk .
A survey by the UK broadband provider found that 22 per cent of adults aged between 25 and 34 said they preferred using the social network to communicate with their family members and friends.
On average, Facebook was used to contact friends and family an average of 3.2 times a week, while a landline was used just 1.6 times. In addition, those that use Facebook become better communicators overall, speaking to their mothers 4.1 times a week and their best friend four times a week.
The TalkTalk research also indicated that mobiles have comprehensively overtaken landline phones as Britons’ primary mode of communication, with nearly 40 per cent of respondents saying they preferred using their mobile handset to communicate, compared to just 22 per cent who liked to use their home phone .
Mark Schmid, spokesperson for TalkTalk, said: “In an age where the rise of social media as a way for people to contact each other is frequently discussed, it’s good to see that verbal communication is still important.”
“In fact, as our research shows, calling from a mobile remains the main way for them to stay in touch with loved ones.”