Wed, 10 Dec 2025

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 UK spending half an hour longer online than in pandemic, says Ofcom

The survey found people in the UK spent on average four hours and 30 minutes online every day in 2025

* UK adults spent an average of 4 hours and 30 minutes online every day in 2025, a 31-minute increase from 2021.
* Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman noted that while increased internet use is not a problem in itself, it's what it displaces and how it affects mental health that matters.
* Only 33% of adults believed the internet was "good for society", down from 40% in 2024.
* However, nearly two-thirds of people still thought the benefits of being online outweighed the risks.
* The survey found children aged 8-17 spent up to a quarter of their online time between 10pm and 3am.
* Since age checks became mandatory on pornographic websites in July, VPN use more than doubled to over 1.4 million users, but has since declined to around 900,000.
* 69% of children aged 13-17 used online services to help with their wellbeing, and more than half mentioned ASMR videos as a tool for relaxation.
* However, 70% of children had issues with self-improvement media that involved toxic messaging or body shaming.
  >>