July 14 (Reuters) – British teenagers who took part in a government-backed trial of social media restrictions reported improvements in sleep, concentration and wellbeing, according to a study published on Tuesday
• A complete ban on social media apps generated the strongest reported gains in focus but also the greatest social disruption
• An overnight social media curfew was the easiest restriction for families to maintain and produced the most consistent reported sleep benefits
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• Restrictions were commonly bypassed through tablets, laptops and old phones, while the teenagers said broader controls could also be circumvented through VPNs and false age declarations
• The study, involving 309 households, was commissioned by the government before outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to ban social media access for under-16s
• Participants aged 13 to 17 were assigned to one of three interventions for one month: a 15-minute daily limit per social media app, a 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. social media curfew, or complete removal of social media apps from their devices
• All those groups reported improvements in sleep, mood, concentration, study time and family interaction
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• The 15-minute-per-app limit had the lowest compliance rate and was frequently described as impractical because it interrupted conversations and peer communication
• Many participants reported feeling disconnected from friends during the trial, particularly where Snapchat was their primary means of communication
• They said restrictions should be sensitive to age and maturity, with greater autonomy for older teenagers
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)
