Oz youngsters 'hit online pause button to read books, watch movies'

Melbourne, Oct 11 (ANI): According to a survey, Australian youngsters are cutting back on their online lives and taking out more time to read books, watch movies and visit art galleries.

An Urban Market Research (UMR) survey revealed that four million Australians aged between 16 and 30 are trying to balance the demands on their lives by turning to more simple pleasures.

However, Facebook remains the number one site among young people with almost half of them (47 per cent) spending at least five hours each week online.

"Pressing pause is not about switching off. It's about temporarily alleviating the pressure," The Herald Sun quoted Youth specialist media and communications company Lifelounge Group chief executive Dion Appel, as saying.

56 per cent of people spend at least an hour each week with a good novel, while dinner parties, the movies, art galleries and the theatre are also core elements for socialising.

Dr Cassie Govan, the co-author of the annual Urban Market Research (UMR) study, says that while young people are taking a pause, falling behind isn't an option.

Young adults are now looking to their friends to validate who they are, what they consume and what's important in life, reflecting the monumental power of peer networks.

"There's an ever present undercurrent of anxiety around this fear of missing out or dropping off the pace," Govan said. (ANI)