The UK government has decided that enough is enough with teenagers glued to their phones all night. On 14 July it proposed a default overnight curfew on social media for 16 and 17 year olds. Apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube would simply stop working between midnight and 6am unless the user goes into the settings and opts out.
They are also turning off auto-play videos and infinite scroll by default. The aim is straightforward: better sleep, sharper minds at school and college, stronger mental wellbeing and actual time spent with family instead of doom-scrolling alone in bed.
This sits alongside the full ban for under-16s that kicks in next spring. Measures for the older teens are due before Parliament by the end of this year. The whole package lands in spring 2027.
Research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology backs the idea. An overnight curfew proved the most manageable restriction to enforce. Families reported the clearest gains in sleep and were most likely to stick with it voluntarily after the trial ended.
The curfew was associated with the most consistent reported improvements in sleep, and was the restriction families were most likely to continue voluntarily.
The study tested a tougher 9pm to 7am window on 13 to 17 year olds. It delivered real benefits in sleep and family interaction. Some found the start time too early, especially at weekends, and plenty simply shifted their scrolling to before or after the ban. That is human nature. But the midnight to 6am slot looks like a pragmatic compromise.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall put it plainly. The curfew helps young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends. Those things matter if you want them to build a happy, healthy adult life.
