Social media bans and digital curfews to be trialled on UK teenagers

4 hours ago

UK government to trial social media bans, digital curfews, and time limits on apps for 300 teenagers.
The trial aims to compare experiences of teens with different levels of restrictions, including complete bans, overnight blocks, and one-hour caps.
Government consultation ongoing to consider making social media access illegal for under-16s, inspired by Australia's approach.
Support for the ban comes from various countries and charities, but experts warn of potential circumvention and unintended consequences.
NSPCC emphasizes the need for tech companies to build safety into platforms to protect children from harmful content.
Pilot scheme includes four groups: one with total app unavailability, two with limited restrictions, and a control group.
Participants will be interviewed to assess impacts on family life, sleep, and schoolwork, as well as practical challenges like parental controls.
A separate large-scale scientific trial will study the effects of reduced social media use on 4,000 adolescents, focusing on wellbeing metrics.
Prof Amy Orben highlights the importance of this research to address the lack of quality data on social media's impact on children.

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