UK internet use doubles in six years More than two-thirds of British adults use the internet every day, twice the proportion who did so just six years ago, with usage highest among the youngest age group, data released on Thursday show. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 33m adults accessed the internet daily in 2012, up from 16m in 2006. Use of the internet for telephone or video calls has also risen much faster than expected, with 32 per cent of adults using it for that purpose in 2012, four times the 8 per cent rate forecast in 2007. Use of mobile devices to access the internet to access the internet is also rising sharply, with 51 per cent of adults using portable or handheld devices, up from 24 per cent just two years ago. These devices are most popular with the youngest adults - 87 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds reported they use a mobile phone or smart book for online access. However, these devices are less popular among older age groups: just 8 per cent of those aged 65 and older reported they use a mobile or smart phone to access the internet and only 15 per cent use mobile devices of any sort. Men are also more likely to use mobile devices than women - 56 per cent against 46 per cent. The most common reason for using the internet is for sending and receiving emails, with 73 per cent of Britons reporting that they did so. Looking for and buying goods and services is the second most common use and 47 per cent of adults say they bank online. However, only 6 per cent say they have created their own websites or blogs. Buying goods online has also become more common, with 67 per cent of adults saying they shop on the internet, up from 53 per cent in 2008. Among 25 to 34-year-olds, 87 per cent say they shop online. Among the 16 to 24-year-old group, who shop online less frequently, the cost of mobile access is cited as the biggest obstacle.