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Young people’s digital lives have been dominating the news and policy agenda recently. Earlier this week, a new mobile phone ban in schools in England came into force, and earlier in June, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, announced a wide-reaching social media ban for under-16s which aims to protect children and young people from online harms and to ‘set a new normal for future generations’. The ban is expected to come into force in Spring 2027.
These conversations have also been coming through in our consultations with schools where we help them to explore their latest #BeeWell data. Schools have told us they’re thinking about their pupils’ digital lives and social media use, whether that’s ensuring policies are in place and are suitable to prevent bullying via digital channels, protecting pupils from harmful online content, or boosting the digital literacy curriculum to ensure young people are able to navigate the digital world safely.
Since #BeeWell launched in 2021, we’ve been listening to what young people tell us about their digital lives. We’ve asked them about the time they spend on social media and how they use it, their experiences with online gaming, and whether they’re ever experienced cyberbullying. The picture is mixed and our research shows that we need to move beyond a simplistic ‘screen time’ or blanket ban and instead focus on what really shapes young people’s wellbeing. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing some of these insights, alongside what young people have told us about their views and experiences in the online world, and thinking about how the digital world fits into young people’s wider lives.
If you can’t wait, take a look at our recent response to the Government’s consultation: Growing up in the online world, in which we draw on evidence from #BeeWell and from colleagues working on #So.Me and at the SMILE Research Centre.
