When awake,
Ofcom’s research found that the average person spends 45 percent of their time using media or some other communications gadget.
The average Briton also uses more than one device at the same time, cramming in 8 hours and 48 minutes of media into just over seven hours during the day.
While usage is going up, prices are going down, according to
Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report into Britain's TV, radio, telecoms and Internet industries.
Over the last five years, household monthly spending on communications services has fallen by 9.4 percent to £91.24, due mainly to people opting for discounted bundles.
The research said the growing popularity of smartphones, particularly among those under 25, was increasing the use of communications and allowing people to do more at once.
The number of smartphone users has risen by 81 percent from 7.2 million users to 12.8 million in the year to May 2010, while the number surfing the Internet on their mobiles rose from 9 million to 13.5 million in the last year.
Older consumers were also doing more, with more than half of those aged 55 - the fastest-growing age group - having broadband at home.
Consumers now send four times as many texts per day than in 2004 and they spend almost a quarter of their time online on Internet social networking sites. Facebook was by far the most popular mobile Internet site,
Ofcom said.
Traditional media also remained popular, with the average person watching 3 hours and 45 minutes of TV per day. Nearly a quarter of people had bought an HD-ready TV in the last 12 months.
"For the first time we can see just how central media and communications are to our lives," said Peter Phillips, Ofcom Partner, Strategy and Market Developments.
"Younger people have shown the biggest changes in how we use media -- particularly using different media at the same time," Phillips said.
"But the divide between younger and older people's use of technology is starting to narrow as more older people are getting online and finding that things like email are very important to them."
Commenting on
Ofcom’s research, Ernest Doku, communications expert at
uSwitch.com, said: "Traditionally you wouldn't leave home without your wallet and your keys - now going out without your phone in your pocket is a serious faux pas.
"As customers opt for longer mobile contracts that allow networks to heavily subsidise the handset costs, the smartphone is becoming more affordable by the minute.
“It's now a common sight to see people walking along the street, queuing for a bus or waiting for a train, all lost in their own little mobile worlds and with little regard for the people around them.
"The competition is such that providers have been forced to add more services and value to their respective offerings and savvy consumers are really taking advantage of this.
“Bundles enable you to take all your services from one company, which is not only convenient - you usually only get one bill - but good value.
“You need to consider a number of factors before deciding which one is best for you though. Contracts tend to be longer and if the company has a poor customer service reputation in one product area, it may impact on the other areas, so it's best to do some research first."
