Most young Brits consider the invention of Facebook more influential than the discovery of GRAVITY, a new study has claimed.
Six out of ten youngsters think the social networking site is more important than Sir Isaac Newton’s ground-breaking 17th Century discovery.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 26, beat a host of other historic names in a ”world changers poll”, including American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
A third of the 1,000 under 25-year-olds polled reckon the social network would have more affect on society in the next decade than PM David Cameron.
But Zuckerberg was pipped to the top spot by Microsoft boss Bill Gates, who secured 11.4 per cent of the vote.
Sophie Orlando, of games company Electronic Arts (EA), which compiled the poll, said: ”The results of this survey are surprising given how influential some of the figures on this list are and the impact that their inventions or discoveries have had on our lives.
”However, the growth of social networks such as Facebook has been phenomenal – to the point where young Brits consider it to be more important than the invention of the more practical light bulb.”
Microsoft founder Bill Gates topped the study’s poll of ”top world changers” on 11.4 per cent, with Facebook’s Zuckerberg close behind on 9.1 per cent.
The two computer entrepreneurs left other names such as Sir Isaac Newton (7.6 per cent) Barack Obama (six per cent) and Albert Einstein (4.7 per cent) trailing in their wake.
The survey also revealed only 41 per cent of Brits aged under 25 had heard of female rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst compared to 84 per cent for pop singer Lady Gaga.
Only one per cent of those polled would choose to sit down for dinner with Nick Clegg, opting for the likes of David Beckham and Obama over the Deputy Prime Minister.
The study was released by videogame publisher EA to mark the launch of new game Dragon Age 2.