London, March 2 (IANS): Do you know the most popular form of sex in the virtual world? It is sexting.

A new research suggests that one in three sexual encounters now takes place online and this includes sexting, video or webcam sex and explicit snapchat images.

The most popular form of digital sex was sexting at 37 percent. Videophone sex came second at 30 percent while webcam sex was third with 26 percent.

The study was conducted by CyberCompare.net as part of research into the digital habits of people in Britain.

"Technology is infiltrating pretty much every element of everyday life now, even our sex lives it seems," Kimberley Shapley, lead researcher at CyberCompare.net, was quoted as saying.

A total of 1,612 men and women aged over 18 took part in the research.

Almost a fifth of people in long-distance relationships said they use digital encounters to keep the passion alive.

Over 14 percent of couples said it was necessary because work schedules keep them apart, the study found.

Almost 60 percent admitted to have digital sexual encounters with people they were not in a relationship with.

The study focused specifically on the everyday activities people rely on technology and gadgets for.

The most common place for digital sexual encounters was at home (71 percent), although 8 percent said they had done so at work.

"To see that one in three sexual encounters is now digital was surprising, and perhaps a little telling about how people approach sex nowadays," Shapley added.