Buffering internet is now one of the UK’s biggest everyday irritations, according to new research commissioned by Sky Broadband.
The survey of 3,000 adults revealed that 41% of Brits put slow or buffering internet near the top of their annoyance list, alongside transport delays (42%) and slow walkers (33%). More than 10 million people admit they are impatient, with the average Brit saying they can only wait 11 minutes before losing patience.
When it comes to online life, nearly a third (32%) said they can’t wait longer than a minute for something to load, while one in four said TV or film buffering and slow downloads regularly test their patience.
Younger generations appear to be finding workarounds. Gen Z, who experience more daily delays than any other group, are turning to time-saving hacks such as using AI platforms (36%), self-checkouts over staffed tills (41%), and even switching to mobile data instead of fixing slow broadband at home (48%). Two in five admitted to watching videos at double speed (42%) just to save time.
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