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Hundreds of teenagers to be banned from using social media for trial period
The six-week pilot tests app disablement, curfews, and time caps on 300 UK teens to assess impacts on sleep, schoolwork, and wellbeing amid a public consultation.
- On Tuesday, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launched a six-week pilot involving 300 teenagers aged 13 to 17 to test social media restrictions including bans, curfews, and usage limits.
- British Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the trials are about "testing different options in the real world" to inform upcoming policy, coinciding with a government consultation on a potential Australia-style social media ban due to conclude on May 26.
- Participants will be divided into four groups, with some facing total app bans, others limited to 60 minutes daily, or overnight curfews; researchers will monitor impacts on sleep and schoolwork while documenting "workarounds that the teenagers may find to bypass them.
85 Articles
85 Articles
Ban teens from social media? Ask first.
Australia has already banned under-16s from social media, while American courts are quickly deciding thousands of lawsuits against tech giants for alleged harm. But Britain is first consulting older teens with a pilot test on whether such bans are the only – or best – solution.
Why UK Is Testing Social Media Limits For Teens
The UK Department for Science Innovation and Technology has launched a pilot program to test social media restrictions for teenagers after lawmakers rejected a nationwide ban for under-16s. The six-week trial will involve 300 teens and test measures such as app bans, daily time limits, and nighttime curfews. One group will face a one-hour cap on apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, while another will have restricted access overnight. A con…
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