sky news Two-hour screen time limit and curfews for children being considered by government

[bonami2]

 

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Government Eyeing Screen‑Time Curbs for Kids

• The UK government is exploring a two‑hour limit per social media platform for children—so once they've streamed TikTok or scrolled Snapchat for two hours, the app would lock them out rather than just sending a reminder. (Sky News)

• They're also considering curfews, blocking access during school hours or at night. (The Scarborough News)

• Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described this move as a response to what he called “compulsive” usage—he’s concerned not just about screen time but also the unhealthy content teens encounter. Posting a formal plan is expected this autumn (2025). (Sky News)

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Why the crackdown now?

• A survey of about 1,000 teens, mostly aged 14–15, in Darlington showed that:

  • 40% spend at least six hours online daily,

  • 20% spend up to eight hours, and

  • Some reported as much as 12–16 hours online. (Sky News)

• Worryingly, more than half of under‑16s had unintentionally viewed sexual or violent content, and three‑quarters had been contacted by strangers online. (Sky News)

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What Peter Kyle is saying:

• Parents too often end up forcibly taking devices from kids—these measures would give tech companies more responsibility, not just parents. (The Scarborough News)

• Kyle emphasizes that a healthy offline childhood matters—and so should a healthy online life. He sees less oversharing, better sleep, more focus on studies as core aims. (Sky News)

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What could happen next?

• Once confirmed, social media platforms might be required to enforce hard caps—automatically logging kids out or pausing access after two hours.

• Curfews may activate during school or bedtime.

• Tech like age verification, default app limits, and reminders are already being rolled out under the UK’s Online Safety Act, due later this year. (Sky News)

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Why it matters:

• Screens are linked to sleep disruption, mental health challenges, sedentary behavior and reduced attention spans, especially in teenagers.

• By shifting some accountability to tech firms, the government hopes to help ease the burden on parents, making healthy screen use the norm rather than the exception. (The Scarborough News)

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Bottom line:

Right now these ideas are “being seriously considered,” not yet official policy—but an announcement is expected this autumn. If passed, they could fundamentally change how kids access social media, with app-specific limits and time-based curfews baked into platforms themselves.

Let me know if you’d like to dive into how experts assess screen time guidelines or global comparisons.

 

 

AI was used for this post.

Source : 

Two-hour screen time limit and curfews for children being considered by government

NEWS.SKY.COM

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The technology secretary tells Sky News he will make announcement on "compulsive" screen time, as a survey shows teenagers are spending hours a day scrolling.

 

Two-hour social media limit being 'seriously considered' to curb teens' screen time

WWW.THESCARBOROUGHNEWS.CO.UK

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One option being explored is social media apps locking kids out if they scroll for too long

 

[pio]

Interesting solution.  Let's see how that works out for them.