
Peoples online experiences revealed Add to Your Pages
29 May 2019
Adults now spend almost 50 days of their year online
Increased internet concern, though most agree benefits outweigh risks
Widespread support for tighter online regulation, but many recognise importance of free speech
Internet users in the UK are increasingly worried about being online, new research suggests, with around four in every five harbouring concerns.
The joint study by Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office[1] indicates the proportion of adults concerned about using the internet has risen since last year, from 59% to 78%.[2]
Similarly, 61% of adults have had a potentially harmful online experience in the past year. The figure rises to 79% among children aged 12-15.[3]
Most adults (59%) however, agree that the benefits of going online outweigh the risks, and 61% of children think that the internet makes their lives better.
State of the online nationThe findings are included in Ofcom's first annual Online Nation report an in-depth study of how people use the internet. The report examines how people are served by internet content and services, and their attitudes towards being online.
People's online time is growing by around 7% annually. The average UK adult spent 3 hours 15 minutes per day online last year a rise of 11 minutes since 2017. That translates to 1,192 hours over the year: the equivalent of around 50 days on the internet.[4]
The internet has transformed our working and social lives, making it easier and cheaper to communicate, and create and share content and information. Each week:
44 million of us use the internet to send or receive email and 29 million send instant messages;
30 million people bank or pay bills via the internet;
27 million of us shop online; and
21 million people download information for work, school or university.
Despite these benefits, most people have also had potentially harmful online experiences. The potential online harms most commonly encountered by adults were unsolicited emails (34% experienced in the past year), fake news (25%) and scams or fraud (22%).
Among children, 39% experienced offensive language online; 28% had received unwelcome friend requests; 23% encountered cyber-bullying; and 20% had encountered trolling.[5]
Where harm takes placeOfcom also studied where people come across their most recent potentially harmful experience. Social media is the leading source in particular Facebook, which is cited by 28% of its adult users, followed by Instagram (16%) and Twitter (12%).[6]
Only 40% of adults agree that websites and social media sites provide the tools needed to keep them safe online, although this rises to 55% of children.
Attitudes to online regulationSupport for greater online regulation also appears to have increased in a range of areas. Most adults favour tighter rules for social media sites (70% in 2019, up from 52% in 2018); video-sharing sites (64% v. 46%); and instant-messaging services (61% v. 40%).
However, nearly half (47%) of adult internet users recognise that websites and social media platforms play an important role in supporting free speech, even where some people might find content offensive.
Yih-Choung Teh, Group Director of Strategy and Research at Ofcom, said: As most of us spend more time than ever online, we're increasingly worried about harmful content and also more likely to come across it.
For most people, those risks are still outweighed by the huge benefits of the internet. And while most internet users favour tighter rules in some areas, particularly social media, people also recognise the importance of protecting free speech which is one of the internet's great strengths.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Internet users' concerns about and experience of potential online harms is a quantitative study with responses from 2,057 adult internet users and 1,001 children aged 12-15.
This percentage relates to participants unprompted' concerns about the internet. Participants were asked the question: Do you have any concerns about the internet? This increase could be attributed, in part, to a change in methodology. The 2019 survey prompted respondents to think about apps, social media, online gaming, video clips and news stories relating to social media sites that appeared before and during the 2019 fieldwork.
The children' referred to throughout the news release reflect this 12-15 age group.
The time spent online includes computers, tablets and smartphones but excludes connected televisions and smart speakers. Comparatively, UK adults spent 3 hours 23 minutes watching television per day in September 2018. In addition, 13% of adults reported that they do not use the internet in 2019 and this has remained unchanged since 2014. People over 54 are less likely to use the internet (19% for 55-64s, 33% for 65-74s and 48% for those aged 75+). Working-age adults in DE socio-economic group households are more than three times as likely as those in non-DE households to be non-users of the internet (14% vs. 4%).
Similarly, around a quarter of children who used the platform (24%) had encountered potentially harmful experiences via Facebook, followed by Instagram (12%) and SnapChat (8%).
Add to Your Pages
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
28/09/2026
The NHL has announced Adobe as an Official Creative, Marketing and AI Partner beginning with the 2026-27 season. The partnership will provide the league and its...
28/09/2026
MultiDyne will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (October 5-7, Dubai Exhibition Centre), showcasing an expanded technology portfolio following its June 2026 acquisition of...
28/09/2026
ARRI and HONOR have announced the HONOR Magic9 Pro Max, a flagship smartphone carrying ARRI branding on the device and packaging as the first product-level expr...
28/09/2026
Net Insight has added the Nimbra 1020G to its pan-Asian live media trial network, giving customers and partners in the region a way to evaluate ST 2110 and JPEG...
28/09/2026
Vindral has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology and Engineering Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the category of We...
28/09/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (Stand B2-37, Dubai Exhibition Centre, October 5-7), demonstrating its BATON QC platform, ORION monitoring solutions...
28/09/2026
Two years into its new production facility, the TOUR is expanding centralized wo...
28/09/2026
In addition to rolling out a new mobile unit for ESPN's Monday Night Countd...
28/09/2026
Bleacher Report and WWE have announced a multi-year content partnership giving Bleacher Report global highlight rights across WWE's programming slate, inclu...
28/09/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
28/09/2026
FuboTV has announced a multi-year distribution agreement with the NHL to carry four regional sports networks covering the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jac...
28/09/2026
Program Productions (PPI) has announced the appointment of Alan Ostfield as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 28, 2026. Ostfield succee...
28/09/2026
Director Josef Kubota Wladyka attends the premiere of Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! with the film's cast and crew at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026, in P...
28/09/2026
EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI
Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...
28/09/2026
New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup
Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...
28/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...
28/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/09/2026
Autoscript, the leading global provider of professional teleprompting solutions, today announced Voice Controller for WinPlus-IP, a new voice-controlled prompti...
28/09/2026
IBC 2026 Technical Conference Highlights
David Kirk September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy Deposit Photos
David Kirk reports from the 11-1...
28/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/09/2026
Nakadi, a global streaming technology innovator dedicated to engineering a new era of digital media delivery, today announced its Live to Theater service based ...
28/09/2026
Monday 28 September 2026
Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes
Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...
28/09/2026
Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers
TISAX
Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...
28/09/2026
Crimecall, presented by Carla O'Brien, returns tonight for a brand new series at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player.
In tonight's episode, alongside appe...
28/09/2026
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT THE HEART OF NEW IRISH WRITING
LIVE FROM POETRY IRELAND, DUBLIN AND ON RT RADIO 1 FROM 7PM
DETAILS: www.rte.ie/writing | FOLLOW: #r...
27/09/2026
New compact pedal packs in 120 effects
The latest multi-effects pedal from Boss is a compact unit that promises to give any pedalboard a massive boost in s...
26/09/2026
With short turnaround between game selections, ESPN's operations team is pla...
26/09/2026
Prime Video will use GCV's Bird and Magic mobile units for its inaugural WNB...
26/09/2026
Studio show moves on-site as network models playoff coverage on its NBA flagship...
26/09/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
26/09/2026
Douglas Keeve attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival screening of Unzipped at the Egyptian Theatre. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock for Sundance Film...
26/09/2026
Launched alongside three new expansion packs
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Native Instruments have released a major update for their Maschine 3 ...
26/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...