Ofcom has released its Online Nation Report 2025, offering one of the most comprehensive snapshots of how people in the UK use the internet today. Beyond platform rankings, the report explores how online behaviour, attitudes, experiences and emotions are changing.

For marketers and PR professionals, the findings offer richly detailed insights that can support audience understanding, strategic planning and content development.

As a leading Manchester PR agency, the findings will help us to shape PR strategies for our clients. Here are some key trends and themes that we’ve noted.

The most popular platforms

Alphabet (YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp) continue to be amongst the most popular platforms. YouTube reaches 94 per cent of UK online adults, and Meta’s ecosystem of apps also remains extremely strong. But it’s not only social platforms that are attracting high levels of users. UK news websites feature prominently too, highlighting the continued relevance of media relations and earned media, with the BBC used by around 82 per cent of online adults, The Sun reaching 45 per cent and Reach Plc titles also ranking.

Forums and community spaces appear in the data too. Reddit continues to grow, particularly among younger demographics, now reaching more than 70 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds.

Search is shifting from queries to answers

One of the most significant developments highlighted in the report is the evolving nature of search. Around 30 per cent of Google searches now include AI-generated overviews, and more than half of adults say they regularly encounter AI summaries in their results. With ChatGPT recording high UK traffic in 2025, more people are moving away from manually searching to seeking the fastest and most direct answer.

This shift raises new questions for SEO, PR content strategy and brand visibility. If audiences increasingly rely on AI-generated summaries rather than clicking through to web pages, brands need to consider how to ensure accuracy, authority and useful information flow into these emerging answer-led environments.

Find out more about the role PR has in supporting AI-driven and LLM search.

Changing attitudes to being online

The report tracks how people feel about their online lives. The proportion of adults who believe the internet is good for society has declined. There are also growing numbers of people coming across harmful content online.

Despite these concerns, many users still recognise the positive value of being online. The report shows that people use the internet to learn, improve their skills, tap into creativity and stay informed about world events. These behaviours offer important cues for brands about what audiences want and what they avoid.

What this means for marketers and PR teams

The report provides a detailed breakdown of which channels, apps and websites different demographics use, making it a valuable reference point for campaign planning and audience segmentation. However, it goes beyond usage data. It also highlights the emotions, pressures and expectations shaping people’s digital experiences.

For marketing and PR teams, several actions stand out:

• Use the data to refine audience strategies. Behaviour varies significantly by age group, region and platform preference. Align messaging and channel selection accordingly.
• Lean into positive online behaviours. People enjoy content that helps them learn, understand or create. Educational, insightful and inspiring content performs well across multiple age groups.
• Avoid contributing to digital fatigue. Concerns about the “endless scroll”, overstimulation and declining wellbeing are real. Brands should aim to add value rather than volume.
• Build trust and clarity. With misinformation and deceptive content on the rise, accurate, well-evidenced communication is more important than ever. Quality will increasingly differentiate brands in saturated feeds.

If you want support developing your PR strategy for the year ahead, get in touch to see how we can help you.