AI use rivals social media activity in UK adults, Ofcom finds

Ofcom’s annual Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes and Adults’ Media Lives research shows that social media use remains widespread, with nine in 10 adult internet users (89%) using at least one social media platform, rising to 97% among 16- to 34-year-olds.

The research suggests, however, that social media use is becoming more passive and circumspect. Only around half of adult social media users (49%) now actively post, share, or comment – down from 61% in 2024 – while the proportion exploring new websites fell from 70% to 56% during the same period.

Participants said they are being more selective about what and how they post on social media. Some have stopped posting altogether, while others appear to be more mindful of their digital footprint, preferring limited lifespan posts – for example Instagram Stories rather than permanent ‘Grid’ posts. More adults than last year are concerned about their online posts causing them problems in the future (49% vs 43%).

The proportion of online adults who feel the benefits of being online outweigh the risks fell to 59%, down from 72% last year. Fewer social media users also say that social media platforms are good for their mental health (36% down from 42%).

Screentime concerns are widespread, with two thirds (67%) admitting they sometimes spend too long on their devices, while 40% say this happens most days. Some participants are adopting particular strategies to take time away from their screens, including setting time limits on their device, deleting apps, and leaving their smartphone behind when leaving the house.

Meanwhile, the research also showed that more than half (54%) of UK adults now use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini, particularly driven by uptake among younger adults (79% of 16- to 24-year-olds and 74% of 25- to 34-year-olds). Around one in eight (12%) AI users said they use these tools for conversational purposes, rising to around one in five 25–34-year-olds (19%).

Some participants appear to be interacting with AI as if it were a person, often unconsciously, according to the research. In some cases, they reported using AI to seek relationship breakup advice or to keep them company when working from home. AI is also being used for creative tasks, including room layout planning, wedding speech writing, and creating artwork.

Elsewhere, the report found that most adults (85%) say they use mainstream media for news, but trust varies. Around one in five adults (19%) say they always trust it to be accurate, although a similar proportion (21%) always question its accuracy.

A majority of the research participants consider the main broadcast media brands to be the most trustworthy sources for news stories about UK politics or conflict overseas, but a few are deeply mistrustful of mainstream media, preferring to access their news from independent content creators and citizen journalists on YouTube. Both groups seem to be becoming more entrenched in their views, according to Ofcom.

New government legislation will bring major streamers with over 500,000 UK users, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and ITVX, under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Discover more here.