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Wednesday 30 November 2016 6:30 am

17 years sleeping, a year in the pub, seven months queuing: How a British adult spends their lifetime

By: Rebecca Smith

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Ever wondered quite how much time you spend binge-watching series after series on Netflix?

Well, wonder no longer as Samsung has surveyed 3,000 UK adults to assess just how Brits spend their time in 2016.

The average British adult will have spent 17 years and 41 days sleeping, 13 years and three months working, eight years and 110 days watching TV and one year and seven months commuting during their lifetime. You'll also have spent seven months of your life queuing and a year at the pub. 

Read more: Winning at life? 25 milestones and when to hit them

Cleaning and exercising take up the same amount of time (one year and three months to be exact), while the average person will spend a month arguing and eight months laughing. They also have time for three years and two months of holiday and a month of partying.

On average, Brits feel the thirties are the happiest stage of life and they expect to retire at 63.

Feel you spend a lifetime in queues? You're not the only one
Feel you spend a lifetime in queues? You're not the only one (Source: Samsung Gear S3)

But there was a shift over the course of a generation in how people spend their time. Those under 40 spend an average of one hour and 47 minutes a day on social media, while the over-65s only spent 40 minutes doing so. The over-65s also spend more time watching TV – over four hours a day, compared to the two hours and 40 minutes watched by the under-40s.

Read more: These are the FTSE 100 social media winners and losers

Nine out of 10 Brits under 40 said they used multiple screens whilst watching the TV, while just a quarter of those over 65 said they did.

Social psychologist Dr Becky Spelmman who led the research said: "The always-on generation of under-40s are working longer hours, have their diaries packed with social activities and are glued to multiple screen devices to stay constantly connected to the world via social media."

And apparently our brains are adjusting "making us even better multi-taskers", so our ability to juggle, manage and process information is growing.

[infographic id="949"]

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