Bradford social media trial limits teenagers to two hours a day
A world-first scientific trial in Bradford is under way, with around 5,000 teenagers testing a two-hour daily cap on apps such as TikTok and Snapchat and a 9pm curfew.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A world-first scientific trial is under way in Bradford to test how limiting social media affects teenagers' mental health. Around 5,000 teenagers from across the Bradford district are taking part in the study, which is led by Born in Bradford.
Half of the participants will form a control group whose phone use is monitored. The other half will try to stick to a two-hour daily limit on ten apps, including TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. They are also being asked to stop using social media after 9pm as part of a night-time curfew.
The trial follows concerns about how much time young people spend online. One year 8 pupil at Appleton Academy in Wyke said they normally used social media for about six hours a day and wanted to get better at socialising. Another pupil was less sure, saying many people have lots of friends on social media and it would be sad if screen time was limited to two hours.
Twelve-year-old Dawson, who enjoys rugby, football and fishing, is among those taking part. He watches videos before school and calls friends after school. His father, Adam, hopes the six-week challenge will give him more time with his son and encourage him to go out rather than stay indoors.
Researchers said two hours a day may seem generous, but previous work and feasibility testing showed many young people spend between three and a half and five hours on social media. They said a two-hour limit would be a significant reduction, and the 9pm curfew could help because late social media use may disrupt sleep.
The government has already decided to impose a social media ban for under-16s in the new year, but details of how it will work have not been set out. Researchers said they want the best evidence available for policymakers now or in the future, so decisions are made in young people's best interests.
Results of the trial are expected in the new year. The organisers hope the findings will help shape policy in the UK and around the world, and give teenagers in Bradford a chance to reset childhood.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| About 5,000 teenagers in Bradford are participating in the trial. | |
| The trial's results are expected in the new year. | |
| Trial participants must limit ten apps, including TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, to two hours per day with night-time curfews. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The bulletin treated the Bradford study as a local human-interest story with a policy angle. It followed 12-year-old Dawson and his father, visited Appleton Academy in Wyke, and gave space to mixed reactions from teenagers. It also set out the trial design, the two-hour app limit, the 9pm curfew, and the link to the government's planned under-16 social media ban.
- “The IRL trial is the world's first scientific trial.”
- “I normally use social media maybe like six hours a day. I want to see if I can get better at socialising and maybe be more free”
- “A lot of people, they spend a lot of time on social media and they have lots of friends there, so it would be sad if your screen time was only two hours.”
Broadcast Timeline
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