Fewer adults in the UK are posting, commenting on, or sharing material on social media – while AI use is up and the majority of people worry about their screentime – according to Ofcom.
Across the UK, 49% of respondents said they actively post on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X, down from 61% the previous year, according to the regulator’s latest survey of online habits and usage.
Ofcom said this, and its finding some people were choosing to post less permanent content, indicated a rise in “passive” social media use.
For social media expert Matt Navarra, it suggests people may be seeking “digital self-preservation” by turning to smaller, private spaces like group chats and DMs.
Still social, less public
“People haven’t fallen out of love with social media, I think they’ve just become a lot more intentional about how they show up on it,” Navarra told.
Ofcom also said it found more adults had expressed concern posting online could cause them problems in the future, something Navarra said showed that for many, it now “feels less like self-expression and more like a potential liability”.
“Social media isn’t becoming less social, it’s becoming less public.”
