Social media, the news and your phone can wear you down, even when much of your time online helps. In May 2025, adults online in the UK spent about four and a half hours a day on the internet.
This section is written for adults. If you are under 18, or worried about a child online, the under-18s section is for you.
Source: Ofcom: online nation 2025
What being online does to how you feel
Mind says being online can connect you with people who understand, and help you find information and support. It can also leave you comparing yourself with others, sleeping badly or feeling anxious and lonely.
In June 2025, 29% of adults online said being online was good for their mental health overall. Almost as many disagreed.
Sources: Mind: being online, Ofcom: online nation 2025
Where it can start to hurt
- Bullying and harassment. Someone targets you online, and it follows you home on your phone.
- Comparison. Other people's best moments leave you feeling that you have less, or that you are less.
- News and misinformation. You read bad news on repeat, until you cannot switch off or trust what you see. Mind notes this is sometimes called "doomscrolling".
- Compulsive scrolling. You scroll for longer than you meant to, and feel worse when you stop.
Source: Mind: being online
Where to start
- If comparing leaves your confidence low, read about low self-esteem.
- If late-night scrolling costs you sleep, read about sleep problems.
- If the pressure to check and reply leaves you on edge, read about anxiety.
- If gaming or gambling online has taken hold, read about compulsive habits or gambling.
What talking can help with
You do not have to delete your accounts to feel better. A professional can help you notice what being online does to you, and what you want to change.
The screen is not always the whole story. Loneliness, low mood or a hard stretch at work can keep you scrolling, and talking helps with those too.
References
Comparison and Self-Worth Online
Scrolling past other people's best moments can wear down how you see yourself. Why comparison online hurts, and what can help.
Start here ifscrolling past other people's lives leaves you feeling behind
Compulsive Scrolling
You open an app for a minute and look up an hour later. Why scrolling can be hard to stop, and what can help you feel more in charge.
Start here ifyou keep scrolling long after you meant to stop
Misinformation and News Overwhelm
Bad news on repeat, and not knowing what to believe, can be exhausting. Why it happens, how to check what you see and where support fits.
Start here ifnot knowing what to believe leaves you worn out
Online Bullying and Harassment
Being targeted online can reach you anywhere your phone goes. What online bullying and harassment can look like, what the law covers and who can help.
Start here ifsomeone keeps targeting you online and you cannot get away from it
