KEY POINTS
- 68% of surveyed UK teens feel worse about themselves after using social media
- Almost half of teens support a “digital curfew” for social media apps after 10 p.m.
- Mental health advocates call for stronger online safety reforms
ISLAMABAD: Nearly half of British teenagers aged 16 to 21 say they would prefer to live in a world without the internet, according to a new survey by the British Standards Institution.
The findings highlight growing concerns over the negative impact of constant online exposure, including digital fatigue, low self-esteem, and the mental health toll of social media.
Their reasons? Overwhelming digital fatigue, eroding self-esteem, and an online landscape that increasingly feels like a trap, not a tool.
“I feel worse after being online — every single time,” a 17-year-old respondent said anonymously.
Around 68% of those surveyed reported feeling worse about themselves after scrolling through social media, echoing growing concerns about the mental toll of digital life. And for many, the solution may lie not in self-control, but in systemic change.
In a striking show of support for intervention, almost half of the young respondents backed a mandatory “digital curfew,” calling for apps like TikTok and Instagram to shut down after 10 p.m. Their message is clear: help us disconnect.
But teens aren’t just passive users; they’re also navigating digital spaces with secrecy and survival instincts.
Behind the glossy selfies and story highlights, a shadow web thrives. The survey revealed:
- 25% spend four or more hours a day on social media
- 42% lie to their parents about their usage
- 40% use burner accounts
- 27% have pretended to be someone else entirely
- Another 27% admitted sharing their location with strangers
These confessions paint a digital ecosystem where boundaries blur and trust is strained, both between teens and their families and between users and the platforms they depend on.
Since COVID-19, a staggering 75% of teens say their screen time has ballooned, mostly to their own detriment. The lockdown years have left a lingering legacy of compulsive scrolling, digital dependency, and algorithm-driven isolation.
Both NGOs and mental health advocates are pushing for comprehensive online safety reforms, including tighter age verification, privacy safeguards, and transparency in content recommendation systems.
The findings serve as a stark wake-up call: today’s youth are not digital addicts without self-awareness — they’re overwhelmed participants in a system that often ignores their well-being.
