The study by Go Smoke Free analysed Google search volume for more than 820 search terms relating to habits that people most want to quit across UK cities, these included things such as smoking, drinking, playing video games, and watching porn.

The results revealed that people in the UK want to kick their fast food habit more than any other. Around 43,000 people ‘Google’ ways to quit this unhealthy habit every month. Quitting fast food is the habit people in London, Bristol and Nottingham want to break most.

Smoking ranks second, accounting for 30,436 Google searches each month.

With its well-documented health risks, smoking remains a major habit that individuals across the UK appear determined to quit.  Quitting smoking is a habit that Liverpool, Coventry, and Bradford want to quit the most.

 Video games rank third as a habit Brits most want to quit, with approximately 30,213 monthly Google searches. Newcastle, Doncaster and Southampton contributed the most searches per 100,000 residents each month for ways to break their gaming habits.

This trend extends to watching game streams; March 2024 data from TwitchTracker highlights the lowest streamer-to-viewer ratio since December 2020, indicating a significant shift in viewer engagement over the past decade. In March 2024, there were 23.8 viewers for every streamer, compared to March 2014, which was 38.4.

 Masturbation ranks fourth on the list of habits Brits are eager to quit, with approximately 20,093 searches each month across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This high level of interest in quitting suggests a significant concern among individuals about the impacts of excessive masturbation, which may include issues related to mental health and sexual dysfunction. Chelmsford and Slough searched for ways to break the habit more than any other.

 Social media concludes the top five habits Brits are most eager to quit, with an average of 19,948 Google searches each month. Social media is the top habit to break in Leicester, additionally Belfast, and Manchester have the highest numbers of monthly searches at 127 and 124 per 100,000 people, respectively.

A recent survey from the University of Cambridge highlights this growing concern, revealing that 48 per cent of British teens feel addicted to social media.

Brits were less worried about giving up drinking, which is not really a surprise.