he UK government has proposed new measures aimed at reducing late-night social media use among teenagers aged 16 and 17.
Under the proposal, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube would be unavailable by default between midnight and 6am for users in this age group. Teenagers would still be able to change their settings and opt out of the restriction.
The government is also targeting design features intended to keep people engaged for longer. Features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay would be switched off by default for younger users.
The measures are intended to encourage healthier digital habits, particularly around sleep, while stopping short of completely preventing older teenagers from accessing social media.
The proposal has attracted mixed responses. Supporters see default restrictions as a useful way of reducing late-night scrolling without imposing an outright ban. Critics have questioned how effective a curfew will be if teenagers can simply disable it.
The debate reflects a broader shift in online safety policy away from focusing only on what young people can access, towards examining how digital platforms are designed and how those designs influence behaviour.
Read the full article on BBC.
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