Bans on social media and phones: what's the evidence? - What in the World podcast, BBC World Service

Episode overview

The episode examines whether restricting smartphones and social media can protect young people, and whether the evidence is strong enough to justify bans.

The host and BBC journalist Hayley Clark discuss their own high phone use. Their screen-time readings were 4 hours 14 minutes and 3 hours 29 minutes; Clark says hers is often closer to five hours. The episode cites estimates that adults use phones for almost five hours a day, 11–14-year-olds spend as much as nine hours a day on screens, and nearly half of teenagers are online almost constantly.

Different approaches to restrictions

A 2023 UN report recommended banning smartphones in schools to reduce disruption and online bullying. France is trialling a “digital pause” in more than 200 schools, where students hand in their phones.

At the time of the episode, the UK was considering restrictions on social media for under-16s. Florida had passed a measure restricting social media use by under-14s, due to take effect in January 2025, and Australia was proposing a ban for under-16s. Questions remained about enforcement, age checks and which services would count as social media.

Many parents supported the proposals. Technology companies warned that restrictions could push young people towards less-regulated online spaces, while some experts argued that improving platform safety and digital education would be better priorities.

What the evidence suggests—and what it cannot yet show

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that childhood changed profoundly between 2010 and 2015, as smartphones and social media became widespread. He links the shift away from in-person play and relationships to rising youth mental-health problems, which he says began increasing around 2013.

A longer-term Norwegian study found that school phone bans were associated with less bullying and better mental-health and educational outcomes, particularly for girls and students from lower-income backgrounds. However, schools varied in how strictly they enforced the bans, leaving open the question of whether strict bans are necessary.

Professor Pete Etchells says there are not yet enough rigorous studies, especially long-term trials, to establish the effects of bans. He points to South Korea’s 2011 overnight internet restriction for young people: it produced only about 90 seconds more sleep per night, while internet use shifted to earlier in the day.

Etchells argues that young people need support to develop healthy digital habits, alongside stronger accountability for technology companies. The episode also stresses the difficulty of separating cause from correlation. Worsening mental-health statistics may reflect phone use, but greater awareness and discussion of anxiety and depression could also affect reporting.

Young people’s views

Sonia, 16, said she would accept not using her phone at school but would worry about being unable to contact someone in an emergency. She also valued social media as a way to learn about other people’s experiences.

French students were divided:

• Isar supported high-school students keeping phones to manage schedules and appointments, while suggesting younger students should be kept away from distractions.
• Arlene favoured the phone-free trial as a chance to step away from screens.
• Richard described peers using phones in school and said constant content can make it harder to focus.

Platform responses and ways to reduce phone use

Meta raised concerns about the privacy implications of age verification and argued that app stores, rather than individual apps, should enforce age restrictions. It also pointed to Instagram’s teen accounts, which include default private settings and sleep mode.

Possible ways to cut personal phone use included switching to a basic “brick” phone or setting aside a phone-free period. The host admitted she had not followed through on making a designated phone box.

Presenters and contributors

Hannah Gelbart (also identified as Hannah Gilbert in the subtitles), Hayley Clark, Hannah Ritchie, Jonathan Haidt, Pete Etchells, and student contributors Sonia, Isar, Arlene and Richard.