One in 10 UK adults will give up alcohol to get online this Christmas

• 10% of those who celebrate Christmas would go Dry-Fi for Wi-Fi, giving up alcohol to get online on Christmas Day

• 9% would be willing to give up chocolate
• More than four in 10 would ask, or expect to be offered a host’s Wi-Fi password

One in 10 UK adults would sacrifice alcohol in order to stay online this Christmas in what is being dubbed ‘going Dry-Fi’, whilst 9% would give up chocolate, according to the latest research commissioned by Virgin Media.    

The UK’s ultrafast broadband provider has revealed how the internet underpins the nation’s festive needs. According to the survey of over 2,000 UK adults celebrating the Christmas holiday, carried out by YouGov, two thirds (67%) of respondents plan to go online on Christmas day.

Of those, 38% will spread festive cheer on Facebook while nearly one in five (18%) will check out Boxing Day sales. These figures are higher among 25-34 year olds with just under half (48%) using social media and a quarter (25%) looking for online deals.

However, our ever growing appetite for all things digital will not be without domestic politics this Christmas as Virgin Media’s research has revealed some of the new rules of engagement when hosting or visiting family and friends.

The research reveals 43% of those surveyed said they will ask for, or expect to be offered, their host’s Wi-Fi password this Christmas.

This generosity must be reciprocated, with 39% of people believing they should extend the same connectivity courtesy when they have visitors – a good reason to ensure your broadband speed will support the additional use.

Over a quarter (27%) of those polled said that a host’s internet connection should only be used for basic internet activities such as checking emails or social media, however 14% expect guests to be able to use the internet to do whatever they like.

For those without a reliable and fast Wi-Fi connection, there may be repercussions – the data showed that 14% of guests would let the host know if their Wi-Fi didn’t meet their browsing needs.

The UK’s love of digital life is not at the cost of festive traditions. Of those asked, the most popular essentials for a successful Christmas were being with friends and family (80%), Christmas dinner with all the trimmings (65%), giving and receiving presents (61%) and having access to festive TV (42%).

ENDS

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,229 adults, or which 2,012 celebrate Christmas. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14th – 15th December 2015. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

In fact, one in five 25-34 year olds said that having Wi-Fi will be ‘essential’ for a successful Christmas day.