Fewer UK adults posting on socials, Ofcom finds

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about Some the experts believe it highlights a socials shift as platforms boost short video.

Fewer UK adults posting on socials, Ofcom finds 4 hours ago Save Add as preferred on Google Liv McMahon Technology reporter Fewer adults in the UK are posting, commenting on, or sharing material on socials - while AI use is up and the majority of people worry about their screentime - according to Ofcom. Across the UK, 49% of respondents dropped they actively post on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X, down from 61% the previous year, according to the regulators latest survey of online habits and usage. (and honestly, same)

Ofcom dropped this, and its finding some people were choosing to post less permanent content, indicated a rise in “passive” socials use.

The Details

For socials expert Matt Navarra, it suggests people may be seeking “digital self-preservation” smaller, private spaces like group chats and DMs. Still social, less public “People havent fallen out of love with socials, I think theyve just become a lot more intentional about how they show up on it,” Navarra told the BBC.

Ofcom also dropped it found more adults had expressed concern posting online could cause them problems in the future, something Navarra dropped showed that for many, it now “feels less like self-expression and more like a potential liability”. “socials isnt becoming less social, its becoming less public.

Why This Matters

” PA Media The majority of adults, and a large majority of 16-to-35 year olds, reported using AI tools, according to Ofcom Ofcoms findings form part of its wide-ranging annual Adults Media Use and Attitudes survey exploring peoples changing media habits. Its latest survey , carried out between 29 September and 28 November last year, saw 7,533 UK adults aged 16 or over asked about how they use socials, find news online and feel about their digital privacy, among a range of issues. This included more UK adults using AI tools compared to previous years - rising from 31% in 2024 to 54% in 2025.

Tech companies have been making moves like this as competition heats up.

The Bottom Line

This included more UK adults using AI tools compared to previous years - rising from 31% in 2024 to 54% in 2025.

What do you think about all this?