Social media bans, digital curfews and time limits on apps are to be trialled in the homes of hundreds of UK teenagers.
The test, led by the UK government, will see 300 teens involved have their social apps disabled entirely, blocked overnight or capped to one hour’s use – with some also seeing no such changes at all – in order to compare their experiences.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, smartphones are particularly accessible for young people today. The vast majority (over 90%) of 14–24-year-olds in the UK either own a smartphone or can borrow one. Nuffieldfoundation 2025
9,350 child sexual abuse offences which involved an online element were recorded by the police in 2023/24
Rani Govender, associate head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, said that while the charity welcomed the government’s efforts to find the best way to keep young people safe online, it must also be ready to take “decisive action” when its pilot and consultation end.
“This must include ensuring tech companies build safety into every device, platform and AI tool so children do not see harmful or illegal content and can only use age-appropriate services,” she told the BBC.
“Failure to deliver on this and a social media ban for under 16s would be better than the status quo.”
What is online abuse?
Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, using technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles and other internet-enabled devices.
Children and young people may experience several types of abuse online, including:
- bullying or cyberbullying
- emotional abuse (including emotional blackmail)
- harassment, stalking or other threatening behaviour
- online blackmail
- pressure or coercion to send sexual images
- sexual abuse
- sexual exploitation.
Children and young people may also be exposed to online harms, such as inappropriate behaviours or content online.
Figures for England and Wales show there were 51,672 offences for child sexual exploitation and abuse online in 2024.
What will happen during the trial ban?
Participants will be asked about the impact of limiting social media on their family life, sleep and schoolwork.
The government says they will also be quizzed about the practical challenges they faced, such as the ability to set-up parental controls or “workarounds that the teenagers may find to bypass them”.
Data from the pilots will be assessed by officials and academics alongside consultation responses from parents and children.
The government says it has received nearly 30,000 responses so far.
Ministers say the pilot schemes will be complemented by what they call the “world’s first major scientific trial looking at the effects of reducing social media use among adolescents”.
The independent study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, is set to begin later this year. and will be co-led by the Bradford Institute for Health Research and University of Cambridge psychologist Prof Amy Orben.
Prof Orben told the BBC she was “really proud that the UK is home to this really important research”.
“[We need to] treat everyone with empathy, as we do not know what people may go through – some may spend a lot of time online because they are trying to escape something. Important to speak sensitively…
You can find out more about tech abuse in our blog: Are you an anonymous victim of tech abuse? – South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Services
What is the current threat of online abuse to girls and young women?
- 92% use smartphones to go online
- 35% use tablets to go online
- 55% use laptops to go online
- 99% use social media
- Top three social media sites used are: Instagram (85%), TikTok (78%), Snapchat (75%).
In an article in The Guardian, Gareth Edwards, the head of the vulnerability knowledge and practice programme at the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, said online crimes were the “fastest-growing threat” – but it is difficult to establish whether the rise was due to increased reporting from platforms in anticipation of the Online Safety Act coming into force this year, or if the crimes were becoming more prevalent. He noted that other research, including from the Youth Endowment Fund, has suggested they were growing.
He also said an emerging threat for teenagers was being blackmailed via “sextortion”, where predators threaten to release sexual images of their victim, though the report noted it was difficult to establish the scale of this threat.
Statistics on tech abuse amongst young people
The statistics on tech abuse among young people reveal a concerning trend of online harm and abuse. Here are some key points:
- 19% of children, aged 10- to 15-years-old, exchanged messages with someone online who they had never met before.
- Over 9,000 child sexual abuse offences involved an online element in 2023/24.
- Around a sixth of people that experienced online harassment offences were under 18-years-old.
- Under 18-year-olds were the subject of almost a quarter of reported offences of online blackmail in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- ONS (2024a) also found that in the last year 1.4% of children aged 10- to 15-years old who spoke to or messaged someone online who they had not known previously, and thought was the same age as them, later found out they were much older. This figure rises to 3.7% when asked if it had ever happened to them.
- In a separate survey of 1,054 children aged 9- to 16-years-old, Internet Matters (2024) found that 27% of surveyed children reported someone they didn’t know had tried to contact them or send them messages.
Key findings from data released by the NSPCC in February 2026.
Is this good news for SLDAS?
From what we know of visiting schools and colleges, we do need more evidence-based measures to protect children online. These tests Involving both the parents and the young people in the study will provide welcome insights into the practicality and feasibility of a blanket ban.
Our worrying concern might be that the restrictions could be easily circumvented or could push children and young people to darker corners of the web.
However, ultimately, the evidence will also support negotiations with tech companies to make their social media platforms safer and restrict or reinforce online content and communication amongst users.
More information for parents on keeping your daughter or young person safe online can be found online at Keeping children safe online | NSPCC.