You take great pride when you hear South Africa has topped a global list. Usually it is something sporting, something cultural, something that lets us puff out our chests. But this time the title feels different. We are now officially the world’s biggest internet addicts, clocking in at nearly ten hours a day as per Business Insider. Ten hours. That is not just an impressive statistic, it is a mirror held up to the way we live.
It is easy to laugh it off. After all, who among us has not sat in bed at midnight, phone glowing inches from our face, promising ourselves “just one more scroll”? But beneath the humour is a deeper truth. Our lives are increasingly lived through screens. Work, entertainment, relationships, even moments of boredom. The internet has stopped being a tool and has quietly become the stage where almost every part of our lives now plays out.
The Comfort and the Crutch
There are reasons for this attachment. In South Africa, being connected often feels like a form of safety. A phone is not just for social media. It is how we check in on loved ones, navigate unpredictable streets, or call for help. Connectivity is comfort, and in many cases, a crutch.
But comfort can become dependence. Surveys tell us that most South Africans admit they cannot go a single day without their phones. Many say they would not last an hour. Some would even prefer the dentist’s chair to being disconnected. It sounds absurd, yet it reveals just how tightly the digital world is wrapped around our sense of self.
The Double-Edged Crown
Here is the irony. Our so-called addiction is also fuelling opportunity. Ten hours online each day means fertile ground for fintech, e-commerce and startups eager to test new ideas. It means investors can see a market hungry for digital products. In that sense, our crown could become an asset.
But there is another side, one that feels less glamorous. Too much time online chips away at focus, sleep and mental health. It lures us into endless loops of distraction where hours vanish, and the return is nothing more than a dopamine hit that fades as quickly as it arrives. The crown of “biggest internet users” looks shiny at first glance, but it sits heavy on the head when you think about the cost.
A Question Worth Asking
The real issue is not how many hours we spend online, but what those hours are worth. Are we using the internet to create, to learn, to build something that outlasts the scroll? Or are we trapped in an endless stream of memes, reels and viral outrage that leaves us emptier than before?
South Africa’s new digital crown is both a celebration and a warning. It tells the world that we are plugged in, engaged, restless and hungry for connection. It also whispers that we might be losing sight of balance.
Maybe the bigger challenge is not about cutting hours down, but about filling those hours with intention. Because if we are going to carry this title, it should be for more than just being online. It should be for what we choose to do once we get there.
