I’m of an age where I can just about remember a world where the internet didn’t occupy every part of society—from my friendships to my fridge. Growing up alongside the World Wide Web (which felt more like an online Wild Wild West compared to the sanitised internet of now), it connected me to people and information (and all the free music and movies I could want) like nothing before.
But the internet is no longer the shiny and exciting future. It’s omnipresent. You can’t go to school or work, or even function socially, without it. The thing I used to escape the real world has become the real world. So, is it any surprise that almost half of young people want to live in a world without the internet? That’s according to new research, published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), anyway.
The survey of 1,293 young Britons shows that 47% of young people aged 16 to 21 would prefer to be young in a world without the internet, with 50% also saying a social media curfew would improve their lives. But this isn’t because it’s not cool or whatever kids say nowadays, 68% said they felt worse about themselves after spending time online.
BSI, the UK’s national standards body, published the data in the wake of Ofcom’s new requirements to protect children from online harm—including safer feeds, age checks, and easier reporting and complaints. It also follows news that the government is thinking about introducing cut-off times for certain apps such as TikTok and Instagram.
Susan Taylor Martin, Chief Executive, BSI said: “The younger generation was promised technology that would create opportunities, improve access to information and bring people closer to their friends. Yet our research shows that alongside this, it is exposing young people to risk and, in many cases, negatively affecting their quality of life.
“Technology can only be a force for good if it is underpinned by trust that people’s privacy, security, safety and wellbeing will not be compromised in the process. The companies creating these services must prioritise the needs of end-users of all ages, especially adolescents, to ensure their health and privacy are protected.”
What else do young people say about the internet?
In news to no one, young people are increasingly living online. Three-quarters (74%) say they spend more time online after the pandemic, with two-thirds spending more than two hours on social media every day. In contrast, around half (49%) spend less than two hours a day on hobbies like dance, drama or team sports.
Parents are often in the dark about their children’s online activities—with 42% admitting to lying about what they do online, a quarter (27%) say they have pretended to be a different person online, and 42% say they have pretended to be a different age. Almost half (43%) even admitted to using social media before the legal age of 13.
What’s a shock is that the young people want the changes themselves. While only 27% want phones banned in schools, a whopping 79% say technology companies should be required by law to build robust privacy safeguards into technology and platforms used by children and teenagers, such as age verification or identity checks.
“That nearly half of young people would prefer to grow up without the internet should be a wake-up call for all of us,” said Daisy Greenwell, Co-founder & Director, Smart Phone Free Childhood. “Young people are now asking for boundaries — for curfews, age checks, meaningful limits, and real protection. They are ready for change.”