Ofcom Reveals How UK Users Spent Their Time Online In 2025

Ofcom’s new Online Nation 2025 report had a look at the daily online habits across the UK, and it shows how much these screens actually became a big part of people’s everyday lives. Adults now spend 4 hours and 30 minutes online each day. This rises 10 minutes from last year. Women reach 4 hours and 43 minutes, which is 26 minutes more than men.

Phones are still the main way people access the online world. Adults use about 41 apps each month, and WhatsApp, Facebook and Google Maps sit at the top. Two large global companies take up more than half of all online minutes in the country. YouTube reaches 94% of adults and draws an average of 51 minutes of daily viewing on devices other than televisions.

Search habits have changed as well. Google Search hosts around 3 billion monthly searches in the UK. Ofcom said that about 30% of these now show AI summaries, and 53% of adults see them often, even when they did not look for them. ChatGPT activity has risen by a lot. It saw 1.8 billion UK visits in the first 8 months of 2025, far ahead of the 368 million in the same period last year.

How Are Adults Feeling About The Internet This Year?

Adults appear less convinced about the value of life online. Only 33% believe the internet is good for society, which falls from 40% last year. The share of adults who believe the personal gains of going online outweigh the risks has also gone down. This total stands at 65%, a drop from 71% two years ago.

Many people feel less comfortable expressing themselves on the internet. Only 25% say they feel freer to be themselves online than offline. This stood at 30% last year. Only 35% feel they can share opinions more easily online, which shows a growing sense of caution.

These feelings sit beside a year defined by heavy use of AI tools. The jump in visits to ChatGPT suggests that these systems have moved from curiosity to common use. Ofcom’s report this year is the first one in which AI summaries form a regular part of online searches.
 

What Are Children Doing During Their Hours Online?

Children aged 8 to 14 spend about 3 hours online each day. Those aged 13 and 14 rise to about 4 hours. Almost all use YouTube and Google Search. YouTube takes around 48 minutes of a child’s day and Snapchat takes 45 minutes. Together these take up half of their online time.

Late night habits appear normal in this age group. Ofcom found that between 15% and 24% of their time on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp happens between 9pm and 5am. Between 4% and 10% happens after 11pm. Many children described “brain rot” content to Ofcom. They spoke about short and chaotic videos that leave them wired and uneasy.

Even with these concerns, children tend to report a positive experience. 9 in 10 aged 8 to 17 say they feel happy with what they do online. Many teenagers find these platforms help them keep in touch. Ofcom found that 72% of 13 to 17 year olds who use social sites or messaging apps feel closer to friends through them. Girls aged 13 to 17 show stronger feelings on friendship support than boys. The internet also plays a large part in schoolwork. About 78% say it helps them and 55% go online to learn new skills.

How Are Children Reacting To Harmful Content?

7 in 10 aged 11 to 17 saw or heard harmful content in the past four weeks. Nearly two thirds took action after encountering it. Some used dislike tools, some reported what they saw and some blocked the person who posted it. Others reached out to an adult.

These findings came from interviews carried out before new child protection rules came into effect in July 2025. These rules require strong age checks and demand that harmful material does not appear in children’s feeds. Platforms must also give children better reporting tools and act against hateful or dangerous material.

How Common Is Online Spending With Children?

Ofcom found that 58% of children aged 8 to 17 spent money online in the past month. This took place on gaming platforms, social sites or video platforms. Many said they were encouraged to spend money through character upgrades, adverts, friends or influencer content.

About 32% regretted gaming purchases and 43% regretted spending on social platforms. Many struggled to understand what they had bought. About 42% said they were unsure about the nature of the items they paid for during gaming sessions.

So, adults lean towards caution, children lean towards curiosity, and both groups move through a digital world shaped more and more by AI tools and fast-moving content.