UK Internet Usage Surpasses Pandemic Levels as Adults Spend 4.5 Hours Online Daily

Daily Internet Time Increases Beyond Pandemic Peak

UK adults are spending more time online in 2025 than they did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from communications regulator Ofcom.

The Online Nation report revealed that people in the UK spent an average of four hours and 30 minutes online every day in 2025, representing a 31-minute increase compared to 2021 figures.

Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman told the BBC this was not a problem in itself, but what mattered was “what this time is displacing and how this may harm mental health.”

He added the “good news” was society was “beginning to question online time more critically.”

Public Perception of Internet Impact Declines

In a year where the major UK Netflix drama Adolescence won praise and political attention for shining a light on misogynistic online content, the survey found adults were feeling less positive about the impact of the internet overall.

Only one third (33%) of respondents said they felt the internet was “good for society,” down from 40% in 2024.

However, nearly two thirds of people still believed the benefits of being online outweighed the risks.

Many adults said they found the internet to be a source of creativity, with roughly three quarters agreeing being online helped them to broaden their understanding of the world.

Children Recognize “Brain Rot” from Excessive Screen Time

Young Users Aware of Negative Digital Effects

The report also explored children’s experiences of being online.

While more than eight in ten children aged 8-17 said they were happy with the amount of time they spent on the internet, they also recognized there were negative impacts of endlessly scrolling on smartphones.

The term “brain rot” was used by some children surveyed to describe the feeling they were left with after spending too long on their devices.

It has become a popular phrase to describe overconsuming online posts and videos considered to be the opposite of mentally challenging.

Late-Night Internet Usage Among Young People

Ofcom found across four of the main services used by children—YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp—up to a quarter of the time 8 to 14-year-olds spent online was between 2100 and 0500.

VPN Usage Doubles Following Age Verification Requirements

From 25 July, Ofcom required websites operating in the UK with pornographic content to “robustly” age-check users, under the Online Safety Act.

Some people began using a virtual private network (VPN) at this time, tools which can disguise your location online to allow you to use the internet as though you are in another country.

The increase indicates people are likely using them to bypass requirements of the Act.

After the age checks became mandatory, the survey said VPN use more than doubled, rising from roughly 650,000 daily users before July and peaking at over 1.4 million in mid-August.

But it also found the number had since declined to around 900,000 in November.

Young People Turn to ASMR and Online Services for Wellbeing

Digital Tools for Mental Health Support

The report also found 69% of children aged 13 to 17 said they used online services to help with their wellbeing, either to relax or improve their mood.

More than half named ASMR as a tool they had used in particular to help them relax.

These videos became an online phenomenon more than a decade ago, which some people claim causes them to feel a tingling sensation.

It has led to an entire industry of online creators making special content viewed on platforms such as YouTube.