Internet use has expanded dramatically over the past three decades, evolving from a niche technology into an essential part of everyday life. From fewer than 1% of users globally in 1995, today nearly two-thirds of the world’s population is online. Data compiled by DataReportal shows that the average user now spends around 6 hours and 39 minutes a day on the internet. Of this time, roughly 2.5 hours are devoted to social networks, while close to 4.5 hours are spent accessing online content via mobile phones.

Usage levels are even higher among children and young people. According to the same data, individuals aged between 10 and 24 spend an average of 7 hours and 36 minutes online each day. This trend has raised concerns among health experts. The World Health Organization reports that more than one in ten children under 15 exhibit problematic behavior related to social media, including signs of addiction. Despite these concerns, Facebook remains the most widely used platform globally, with close to 3 billion active users per month.

In response to these developments, a number of countries have begun considering or introducing restrictions. Australia has become the first country to ban access to social networks for children under the age of 16. Denmark is preparing a similar ban for those under 15, while France could become the first EU member state to implement such a measure if the Senate approves legislation already passed by the lower house. Comparable debates are underway in Spain, Italy, Greece and Norway, with draft laws already prepared in some cases.

Against this backdrop, Bulgaria stands out for the pace at which internet access has expanded over the past decade. Among EU member states, Bulgaria has recorded the fastest growth in household internet access over the last ten years. Currently, 93% of households in the country have internet connectivity, compared with an EU average of 95%. While the gap appears small, this places Bulgaria 22nd in the overall EU ranking. The country fares even worse in terms of regular internet use, ranking 26th, with only Croatia behind it. In contrast, Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands report near-universal daily internet use. Around 7% of Bulgarians have never used the internet at all.

Patterns of use in Bulgaria also differ from those elsewhere in the EU. Bulgarians primarily go online to make phone and video calls through various applications. Social networks and chat platforms follow as the second and third most common activities. Across the EU, however, messaging is the most frequent online activity, while social media ranks only fifth. Reading news content comes next in Bulgaria, followed by checking email. In most other EU countries, email is the second most common reason for going online. Online shopping remains less popular in Bulgaria, with only 47% of users making purchases via the internet, compared with an EU average of 72%, where buying goods and services ranks fourth overall.

In terms of devices, mobile phones are the main gateway to the internet across Europe, followed by laptops. Desktop computers are used in about one quarter of cases, ahead of tablets and smart devices such as TVs or watches, which account for around 14–15%. A notable difference is that these smart devices are more commonly used for internet access elsewhere in Europe than in Bulgaria, where desktops still play a relatively larger role.

Artificial intelligence is gradually becoming part of everyday online activity, but adoption remains uneven. In Bulgaria, one in five people use AI-based tools, compared with roughly one in three across the EU. Usage is highest in Denmark, where every second person relies on such technologies. Bulgaria ranks near the bottom, ahead of only Italy and Romania. Most Bulgarians who use AI do so for personal purposes, with 8% using it for work and 5% for education. In other EU countries, these shares are approximately twice as high. The most commonly cited reason for not using AI in Bulgaria is a perceived lack of need.