Poll finds most UK teens to opt out of planned social media curfew

A recent poll has revealed that the vast majority of UK teenagers, aged 16 and 17, would opt out of a planned social media curfew proposed by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The government introduced the idea in mid-July, intending it as an additional measure to complement a ban on under-16s that Starmer announced in June. The curfew would automatically restrict access to social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook between midnight and 6am, though users could disable the feature.

According to a survey conducted by consultants Censuswide, 85% of the 1,000 teenagers polled said they would turn off the curfew, either to communicate with friends and family or to watch online content. Only two percent of the participants stated they didn't use social media or watch short-form videos on school nights. Over 18% of the teenagers admitted to consuming social media content until 1am or later.

Education Minister Bridget Phillipson suggested that the voluntary nature of the curfew could be altered if too many teenagers opted out. The UK government's plan is reportedly inspired by Australia's under-16 social media ban, which came into effect in December without a curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds.