Digital wellbeing

Helping people build healthier, more balanced relationships with technology

Discover ways to build healthier digital habits with our quiz, tips, and the O2 scroll stopper

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Why it matters

Technology is an essential part of everyday life, shaping how we work, learn, connect and relax. But as digital experiences become more constant and complex, many people are finding them harder to navigate.

At Virgin Media O2, we believe digital wellbeing is about helping people feel in control of their digital lives – by providing clarity, support and tools that help them use technology in a way that works for them.

The manifesto

Digital wellbeing means feeling in control of your digital life.
At Virgin Media O2, we’ve developed this manifesto to demonstrate how we help you to use technology on your own terms.

We want you to have the power to decide how, when and where technology fits into your everyday life. By being transparent and thoughtful in the decisions we make, we aim to deliver experiences that support your wellbeing – both online and offline.

Our challenge

Being connected and spending time online is at the centre of our digital society – in how we work, learn and socialise. For over 20 years, we’ve connected the UK with the best and fastest technology available, tackling data poverty and closing the digital divide between urban and rural areas.

But getting people online isn’t the end of the story – or where our work stops. An internet connection is more than just wires and cables. It’s a window to the world. As a mobile and broadband provider, our commitment – while enabling you to get online – is to make your wellbeing our priority. That’s why we work hard to reduce harm occurring on our network and give parents practical tools and advice to help keep their kids safe online.

We understand that life online can sometimes feel overwhelming. We’ve seen how online platforms have evolved over the years and how that’s impacting people as they use our services and experiences.

The constant flow of notifications, nudges, personalised feeds and gamified interactions designed to hold our attention is contributing to major changes in people’s emotions and behaviour. The rise of generative AI, while undoubtedly beneficial in a number of ways, is also normalising fake and misleading content, making it even harder to tell facts from fiction and increasing potential for harm. These factors and so much more are reinforcing a harmful digital culture that discourages critical thinking, leading to passive and compulsive engagement, and impacts the wellbeing of our communities.

The burden and responsibility to navigate the online landscape is loaded on individuals, families, teachers and communities. But it’s not a level playing field. Our aim is to support people of all ages who use our services, so they can have a healthy relationship and positive experience with technology.

Our mission

Be a trusted partner for customers of all ages to navigate and support a healthy relationship with technology.

Our principles

We focus on five key areas:

Your digital wellbeing is rooted in our respect for your fundamental rights

We respect your rights and freedoms, in particular your data protection and privacy rights and your freedom to express yourself, as essential to your digital experience. We build our digital wellbeing approach alongside our commitment to uphold and respect internationally recognised human rights and apply the latest learning from the digital rights movement to shape our products and services.

We implement data protection and privacy by design – by building privacy considerations into the design of our systems and services from the very beginning
We take a proactive and intelligent approach to cybersecurity to protect your experience and prevent online risks
We block harmful sites on our network when there’s a legal basis to do so to protect our customers

Human Rights Statement

Modern slavery statement

Virgin media’s and O2’s privacy policies

Fraud, scams and unwanted call protection on O2

Fraud and Security Hub on Virgin Media

We’re a member of the Internet Watch Foundation

We make responsible technology decisions to support your digital wellbeing

The benefits of digital technologies are also giving rise to new challenges for individuals and society. We know that the choices we make today as a business can enhance or undermine wellbeing for years to come. So, we take steps to identify, prevent and mitigate potential negative impacts by using our position as an industry leader to develop innovative technical solutions.

We make design choices in our apps and websites that combat compulsive use
As one of the UK’s largest advertisers, we know that digital advertising underpins much of the internet economy and take our responsibility seriously. We explore innovative ways to connect and communicate, and scrutinise the platforms where we advertise to make sure they meet our standards for brand safety and transparency
We recognise both the innovative potential of AI, as well as the complexity and responsibility of use. We view AI as an evolving toolset that requires evaluation for it to meet our values and your needs

We’re a member of and adhere to the Conscious Advertising Network Guiding Principles

We’re also a member of the Responsible Media Forum

We provide clarity and empower you with choices for your life online

We invest in digital wellbeing to give you the tools and support you need to make those small changes that’ll develop into long‑term healthy online habits. We consider the most vulnerable people first when we design digital wellbeing solutions within our network and services.

We’re establishing ourselves as a leader in data protection and privacy in the UK, with an approach grounded in accountability, fairness and trust, giving you clear information to help you make informed choices about your online life
We offer a range of devices and products to suit your tech preferences
We provide free network filtering by age group, and help you apply settings on devices and platforms for the best experience

O2 - Keeping Kids Safe Online

Age restricted content and age verification

What is Virgin Media Essential Security?

O2 Extra – McAfee protection bundle

Mobile Phone Deals | Compare Our Best Phone Contracts

Virgin Media Advanced security

**We invest in both online and offline time**

Balancing online and offline time is key to digital wellbeing. We support you to get more from your connectivity, while investing in shared offline experiences – so you can do more of what you love.

We invest in our mobile and broadband networks to ensure reliable connectivity for our customers when they need it
We reward our customers with live music, sport and family-oriented experiences, away from screens, through Priority from O2

Our investment in the UK network

England Rugby | Sponsorship | O2

The O2 | Sponsorship

Our venues | Sponsorship | O2

FanFair Alliance

Why we need to shake up the ticket resale market

We help you have conversations with others on digital wellbeing

Our mission is to help power the digital wellbeing movement. Our campaigns and investment in communities aim to drive digital literacy and digital wellbeing for all. We invest in research so our actions are backed by evidence and make a difference in the everyday lives of people of all ages.

We fund evidence-led, publicly available research to drive the conversation and necessary action to improve society’s digital wellbeing and digital literacy, while helping tackle the roots of compulsive digital use
We work with the government and expert organisations in communities across the UK to improve digital, AI and media literacy and digital wellbeing

We’re a member of the Digital Inclusion APPG

A five-year research initiative with the University of Cambridge

We’re a founding member of parental online safety organisation, Internet Matters

Find The Right Words - Virgin Media O2

Our partnership with the UK government to support parent and children’s media literacy

Understanding digital wellbeing today

We’ve undertaken a year-long research programme to better understand how people experience digital life in the UK.

Our findings show that while technology brings clear benefits, many people are experiencing challenges – from disrupted sleep and reduced focus to feeling less present in everyday moments. A key factor is the rise of unintentional use, where time spent on devices happens without conscious intent.

These findings reinforce the need for greater support, helping people better understand their digital habits and take more control over how they use technology.

Download our report

Working with experts

Researching Digital Wellbeing with the University of Cambridge

To deepen understanding of digital wellbeing, we are funding the establishment of a major new initiative with the University of Cambridge. Together, we are supporting independent, evidence-led research by launching the Digital Wellbeing Observatory.

Every year the Observatory will uncover how people experience digital life today, moving beyond measures of access and screen time to better understand balance, control, and society’s wellbeing in a generative AI world. The research brings academic rigour to our approach, helping us explore the relationship between behaviour, technology and digital environments, and ensuring our actions are grounded in real-world insight. It also enables us to contribute to a broader conversation on digital wellbeing, working with experts to shape thinking, inform policy and support positive change over time.

Supporting families online with
Internet Matters

Virgin Media O2 has a long-standing partnership with Internet Matters, working together to help parents and guardians support children’s safe and positive use of the internet. Through this collaboration, we provide access to trusted, expert guidance on topics such as screen time, social media, online gaming and digital wellbeing.

Parents and carers can access a wide range of practical resources on the Internet Matters website, including age-specific advice, step‑by‑step guides to setting parental controls, and tools to start conversations about online safety at home. In addition, Virgin Media O2 customers can benefit from free built‑in network security features by age (Virgin Media and O2) and guidance across our services, helping families create a secure online environment.

Together with Internet Matters, we are committed to empowering families with the knowledge and confidence they need to navigate the digital world safely and in control of their household’s wellbeing.

See our recent collaboration with Internet Matters - Find the Right Words