Personal Tech
Boffins confirm: taking away teens' phone makes them act like humans again
Whitehall has spent time and taxpayer money confirming that teenagers who spend less time on social media tend to be happier, better rested, and more willing to interact with the people sitting in the same house.Ministers say the government-backed trial strengthens the case for their planned ban on social media access for under-16s after providing real-world evidence that cutting back on apps does exactly what parents have been saying for years.The study followed more than 300 families across the UK as they tried one of three restrictions at home: removing social media apps entirely, blocking access between 9 pm. and 7 am, or limiting each app to 15 minutes a day.
Across the trial, teenagers reported going to bed earlier, sleeping better, feeling calmer, and concentrating more effectively at school. Parents also described quieter evenings and more time spent talking together instead of staring at separate screens.
The strongest effects came when social media apps disappeared altogether. Those families reported the biggest increases in face-to-face time with friends and evenings spent together, alongside less screen time and better focus. Families trying the overnight curfew also saw benefits, particularly around sleep, with some parents saying the 9 pm cutoff became routine within a couple of weeks.The 15-minute limit, by contrast, flopped. Teenagers found it too restrictive to use apps in any meaningful way, leading many to ration their allotted minutes, switch to other devices, or simply migrate to platforms that weren't subject to the same restrictions.Secretary of State Liz Kendall said the findings reflected what many parents already believed: "These findings show what parents have been telling us all along: when children spend less time on social media, the benefits are real.”
