By India McCarty
A new survey finds that almost half of young people would prefer to live in a world without the internet.
“New research showing that half (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,” the survey, conducted by the British Standards Institution, stated.
In an op-ed written by The Guardian’s Isabel Brooks, she hypothesized that many young people feel nostalgic for a pre-internet world, one where “people behaved in more authentic and idiosyncratic ways.”
While she admitted that the internet had made many things easier, such as researching and connecting with others, Brooks said the negative parts of not having access to the internet “are what young people yearning for disconnectivity actually want.”
“We have a sense that there was a value, now largely lost, in the practical effort required for social interaction, for finding good music, or joining a subculture. Life now in comparison seems streamlined, efficient…a phenomenon that writer Michael Harris calls a ‘loss of lack.’”
BSI’s survey results come after the UK’s technology secretary, Peter Kyle, discussed a potential mandatory cut-off time for young people on apps like TikTok and Instagram.
Kyle didn’t confirm any plans the UK government might be working on concerning a technology curfew but told the BBC his team is looking into the “addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones.”
Related: Teen Takes On Meta Over Addictive Technology
Daisy Greenwell, co-founder and director of Smart Phone Free Childhood, said of the survey’s results, “That nearly half of young people would prefer to grow up without the internet should be a wake-up call for all of us. We’ve built a world where it’s normal for children to spend hours each day in digital spaces designed to keep them hooked. Young people are now asking for boundaries — for curfews, age checks, meaningful limits, and real protection. They are ready for change.”
She continued, “What they need now is for the adults in charge — governments, regulators, and tech leaders — to step up and meet them there. For too long, the interests of powerful tech companies have been prioritised over the wellbeing of the next generation. But parents across the UK are now coming together to protect childhood from the toxic and addictive algorithms peddled by tech companies.”
“We have an opportunity to reset the digital world our children are growing up in. Their mental health and right to a safe, healthy childhood must come before profit,” Greenwell concluded.
The BSI’s recent survey shows that young people are just as concerned about their screen time as their parents are, and they want something to be done about it.
Read Next: China Proposes Smartphone Screen Time Limits for Kids
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