Postbank Digitalstudie 2026 Reports Decline in Internet Usage in Germany (heise.de)

• Average weekly internet use falls from ~72.4 to 67.4 hours
• Under-40s reduce smartphone time by three hours to 31 hours/week
• Social media usage drops from 71% to 64%
• AI cited as driver by 56% of those increasing usage

"According to the Postbank Digitalstudie 2026, internet usage in Germany has dropped to 67.4 hours per week. The decline is driven by under-40s consciously reducing online time for analog activities. Social media use fell from 71% to 64%, while AI tools like ChatGPT are now used by 38% of respondents."