Thousands of children are taking part in a six-week trial examining whether tighter social media limits could improve their mental health and wellbeing.
The study, being conducted across 12 schools in Bradford, will assess how restricting access to social media affects the behaviour and daily lives of children and teenagers.
During the trial, between 4,000 and 5,000 children aged 12 to 15 will have their social media accounts restricted and their usage monitored.
Some pupils will be limited to two hours a day on 10 selected apps and will face a 9pm curfew.
A second group will continue using the platforms as normal, although their social media activity will still be tracked for comparison.
The apps covered by the trial are TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Threads, X, Kick and Twitch.
Students will complete short questionnaires before and after the study, answering questions about anxiety, sleep, body image and their experience of school life.
Researchers will also examine which social media apps pupils use most, the times they access them and how long they spend online each day.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 children aged 12 to 15 will have their social media accounts restricted and monitored for six weeks (stock image)
The restrictions can be bypassed at the press of a button. However, pupils will earn points for following the rules, increasing their chances of winning a £100 voucher in addition to the £20 voucher given to everyone who takes part.
The £1.2 million study is being led by the Bradford Institute for Health Research and the University of Cambridge. It is understood to be the first randomised controlled trial in the world focused on restricting social media use.
Trial manager Dr John Pickavance told The Times: ‘We want to know if they are getting better sleep, will they be doing more physical activity, or will they just replace it with other forms of screen time – TV, video games, other things on the phone. And are other forms of screen time more or less harmful or beneficial?’
Lois Oredein, 12, said social media could sometimes make it easier for young people to connect. ‘It’s better to socialise online sometimes because it can be awkward in real life. I speak to my friends on Snapchat. And I watch funny videos on TikTok, just for like two hours each day.’
Her classmate at Appleton Academy in Wyke, Bradford, Hannah Osin-Ntimoah, said social media also had benefits. ‘A lot of people learn stuff from social media and they can contact their friends. It’s not because of social media that young people are depressed.’
The Bradford trial comes ahead of the Government’s planned social media ban for under-16s, which is due to be introduced next spring.
The proposed crackdown is expected to go further than Australia’s measures, with the Government promising ‘world-leading’ action covering gaming and live-streaming platforms. The aim is to prevent strangers from contacting children.
Platforms will be required to switch the restrictions on by default for children up to the age of 17. Ministers are also considering possible overnight curfews and limits on infinite scrolling for under-18s.
Further proposals would require AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots, which are designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users, to enforce a minimum age of 18. Wider age restrictions on AI chatbots are also being considered.
Encrypted messaging services, including WhatsApp and Signal, will not be covered by the UK’s social media ban.
