The British government is moving towards imposing new restrictions on the use of social media by older teenagers, including a virtual nightly curfew and limitations on infinite scrolling and autoplay features, as part of increased efforts to enhance digital safety and reduce the negative effects of intensive platform usage, according to CNN.

On Wednesday, the British government announced that users aged 16 and 17 may be subject to a nightly social media ban from midnight until morning, with some features designed to attract users for extended periods disabled, such as continuous scrolling of content and autoplay of videos.

These measures are set to come into effect by spring 2027, with teenagers having the option to disable some of these restrictions according to available options.

This step comes after the results of a British experiment involving more than 300 teenagers and parents aimed at measuring the impact of reducing social media usage on mental health and daily behavior.

The experiment included three different intervention models, which were:

Limiting app usage to 15 minutes per day.

Imposing a nightly ban on use from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m.

Removing certain social media apps entirely.

The results showed that participants noticed an improvement in a number of health aspects, including improved mood, reduced stress levels and increased energy during the day. Some teenagers also confirmed that reducing evening use helped them improve their sleep and concentration.

However, the experiment also revealed social challenges, as some participants noted that reducing platform usage could affect their communication with friends, since social media has become an essential part of daily relationships among teenagers.

For this reason, the option of a nightly ban was most accepted, as it is a middle ground that achieves health benefits while preserving the social role of digital platforms.

The British measures come within a global wave of increased regulation towards major technology companies. Australia came before them, becoming the first country to impose a legal ban on the use of social media by those under 16 years old, while other countries are studying similar measures to reduce the risks associated with early and excessive use of digital platforms.