The UK government has announced plans to introduce a midnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, in an effort to improve their sleep quality, focus, and family life. The proposed rules would see apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube set to unavailable by default between midnight and 06:00, with 'addictive' features such as auto-play and infinite scroll disabled. However, critics argue that the measures are piecemeal and ineffective in promoting children's safety, with some experts warning that a curfew could harm vulnerable children by limiting their access to social media when they might need it most.
The government claims that the curfew trials saw the most sleep benefits, as well as more engaging and communicative family evenings, and a less burdensome set-up for parents. However, Pete Etchells, professor of science communication at Bath Spa University, cautioned against relying too much on the findings, describing it as a small study that is one part of the puzzle in trying to understand how children use social media.
The proposals follow the announcement in June that under-16s in the UK would be banned entirely from a range of platforms. The government aims to lay its new proposed measures in front of parliament by the end of 2026, with the aim that they take effect alongside its social media ban for under-16s next spring.
Some child safety charities and experts have cast doubt on the effectiveness or promise of a midnight curfew for older UK teens, with Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, describing it as 'yet another piecemeal set of announcements not the comprehensive plan for children's safety that's required'.