The government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer has introduced plans for a voluntary overnight social media curfew aimed at older teenagers. These proposed measures, which will require new legislation to take effect, also include disabling addictive features such as videos that automatically play in sequence by default for this age group. While these initiatives represent some of the final efforts of the current administration, they are widely expected to be continued by potential successor Andy Burnham.
UK Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan defended the proposals against critics who suggested that teenagers would simply disable the default settings. Citing a recent pilot program involving more than 300 participants across the UK, Narayan noted that the study resulted in dramatic reductions in overnight social media usage and contributed to improved sleep and concentration among the youth involved. He emphasized that in a previous instance where platforms introduced similar defaults, over 90% of teenagers maintained the settings. Dismissing the argument that teenagers would bypass the restrictions, Narayan stated, "I wouldn't do the disservice to teenagers of saying they’re all going to switch it off."
The reaction from advocacy groups has been mixed. The NSPCC, the leading children's charity in the UK, described the plan as a positive step that will improve online experiences, but warned it would not be sufficient on its own. Chief executive Chris Sherwood characterized the proposal as a "sticking plaster" that fails to address the underlying addictive design features driving excessive screen time and harming children’s wellbeing. Meanwhile, Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, welcomed the move as a "positive step," noting that many young people struggle to reduce their social media usage independently. She added that she intends to monitor how the policies, including the curfew, are delivered to ensure their overall effectiveness.
“In October, for example, some platforms introduced these defaults of this sort – 90%-plus teenagers said to us that they’ve maintained those defaults as well,” he told Sky News citing a recent pilot program involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK that saw social media usage drop dramatically overnight as well as helping improve sleep and concentration.
