Britons to leave a trail of over 60,000 photos and social media posts, study finds

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Including some of the more popular platforms, adults share an average of 276 posts on Instagram, 170 on Facebook and 141 tweets annually – amounting to 17,369, 10,680 and 8,911 collectively over the average lifetime. Similarly, adults have two active email addresses for both personal, and work use, and will have signed up to over 500 mailing lists.

When quizzed on the safety aspect of this, 47 percent do worry about the risks of putting so much of their life online – despite 29 percent failing to be “savvy”’ when it comes to protecting themselves. 

A spokesman for Aloha Browser, which commissioned the study, said: “We all put so much of our lives online nowadays because it’s considered ‘the norm’.

“But we are not giving our online privacy the attention it deserves. It really is simple to protect your privacy online but far too many people aren’t taking the simple, yet necessary steps.” 

Using secure passwords is the top thing people do to improve their internet privacy (47 percent). 

While four in 10 never disclose their main email address or phone number – and a further 39 percent refrain from using public storage websites such as Google Docs or Dropbox.

But despite strong passwords being the main way people protect themselves, 57 percent still receive warnings about them potentially being compromised. 

Nearly half (49 percent) are apprehensive about online safety with not wanting to be scammed (67 percent) cited as the top reason for this. 

And two thirds worry about having their identity stolen, whereas 33 percent would be embarrassed if they ever got ‘tricked’, according to the OnePoll study.

The average adult is the recipient of three scam attempts every month, with 34 percent agreeing it’s only a matter of time until their data is compromised.

What’s more, 37 percent don’t know what a VPN is, but as many as 83 percent admit they regularly use them in public places.

The spokesman added: “It’s clear from the research a lot of people are still unsure about how to best protect themselves online and even the risks that are associated with being so volatile. 

“That’s why browsers like ours exist – to help consumers protect themselves.

“As a nation, we need to become savvier with how we use the internet and what we do with it.”

*Instagram posts = 127.4 per year

*Instagram stories = 148.72 per year

*Tweets = 141.44 per year

*Facebook posts = 169.52 per year

*LinkedIn posts = 132.08 per year

*TikTok videos = 134.68 per year

*Snapchats = 140.92 per year

= 994.76 x 63 (adult average lifetime)

= 62,669.88

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