Teenagers to trial social media bans and time limits

Hundreds of teenagers will take part in a trial of social media bans, time limits and curfews, as ministers consider potential measures to keep children safe online.

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A six-week pilot run by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will see 300 young people aged 13 to 17 from across the UK try out different restrictions on social media use to see the impact on their schoolwork, sleep and family life.

It comes as the Government's consultation on a potential Australia-style social media ban is set to conclude on May 26.

Participating young people and their parents will be split into four groups.

One set of parents will be shown how to use parental controls to remove or prevent access to selected social media apps, replicating the effects of a social media ban.