Hi-tech Entertainment Is The Fastest Growing Sector in Britain

In 2017, nearly three-quarters (73%) of people in Britain accessed the internet via a mobile device, more than double the level in 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics, with 75% of us now reading newspapers and magazines read online.

According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), social media among young people has become almost universal: 96% use platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat.

While the move to online has led to declining sales of print newspapers and magazines, other media sectors are booming. PwC expects UK media and entertainment to grow 3% year-on-year and be worth £76bn by 2022.

Fastest Growing Sector in Britain

The fastest growing sectors are hi-tech entertainment such as virtual reality (VR) and competitive gaming or "eSports," PWC reports; where Great Britain is the market leader. New technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) are set to change our lives even more, as AR applications merge the "real" world with information on the internet. The rollout of 5G, a new super-fast mobile network due to be trialled in the UK in October, could also play a driving role.

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence

Dmitri Tcherevik, chief technology officer at app developer Progress, says: "The smartphone is just beginning to serve as a data center for new technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality and smart devices, all controlled by artificial intelligence chips in phones".