Active social media use in the UK has fallen sharply, watchdog Ofcom says, with people posting less often and watching their step around online content.
Ofcom research published today found the share of people who think the benefits of being online outweigh the risks has slid to 59 per cent from 72 per cent last year. Plenty reckon they spend too long glued to their devices.
Social media is still everywhere, with nine in 10 adult internet users on at least one platform, including WhatsApp but not YouTube. That rises to 97 per cent among 16 to 34-year-olds.
Ofcom said that use is “becoming more passive and circumspect”, with about half actively posting, sharing or commenting, down from 61 per cent in 2024. The proportion of people exploring new websites fell to 56 per cent from 70 per cent.
Some respondents said they are getting pickier about what they post, with some stopping entirely or sticking to temporary formats, such as Instagram Stories, which vanish after a set time. Almost half said they worried their posts could cause problems in future, up from 43 per cent.
The findings will stiffen support for a ban on social media for children, an idea ministers are weighing as worries mount about prolonged use and polarised online rows. Led by Australia, a dozen countries, the EU, and more than 20 US states have proposed or enacted restrictions on minors’ use of social media.
The Financial Times reported in January that the government would launch a consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s after pressure in the House of Lords.
Ofcom’s study found more than half of adults now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, up from 31 per cent last year. Almost one in 10 AI users said they use them for conversational purposes.
Ofcom warned some participants seemed “to be interacting with AI as if it were a person, often unconsciously”. Some said they used it for relationship break-up advice or for company while working from home.
