Several teenagers are set to participate in trials involving social media restrictions, such as bans, time limits on app usage, and curfews. These pilot programs are part of a three-month consultation on online safety initiated by the Government, with leading experts examining the effects of these measures on teenagers’ sleep, mood, and mental health. Around 300 teenagers from all UK nations will be divided into four groups for the six-week pilots, with evaluations slated to begin soon.
In one trial, parents will have the ability to enforce social media bans using parental controls to restrict or completely block access to specific apps. Another option allows parents to set curfews by blocking social media access for their children between 9pm and 7am. Additionally, a group of teens will be restricted to one hour of app usage per day on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, while another group will retain their current social media access levels.
Participants, both children and parents, will be interviewed before and after the trials to assess the impact of limited social media on family life, sleep patterns, and academic performance. Challenges, such as teenagers bypassing parental controls, will also be discussed.
Separately, a scientific study in Bradford, funded by the Wellcome Trust and led by the Bradford Institute for Health Research and University of Cambridge psychologist Professor Amy Orben, will investigate the effects of reducing social media use among adolescents on anxiety levels, sleep quality, social interactions, well-being, body image, school attendance, and bullying incidents.
The Labour Party has also launched a consultation to gather feedback on promoting healthier online relationships for children. While the Online Safety Act already prohibits illegal and harmful content, the Government is exploring additional measures to address concerns that tech companies are not held accountable.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized the importance of providing young people with a safe online environment and gathering insights from consultations and real-world trials to inform future actions. Professor Orben highlighted the need for randomized controlled trials like the one in Bradford to better understand social media impacts and identify effective interventions for youth and their families.
