The loneliness loop: How smartphones are affecting young lives

The debate on young people and smartphones has consistently made headlines recently, thanks to voices like Jonathan Haidt and movements such as Smartphone Free Childhood. I’m a parent of two daughters, aged 8 and 10, so it’s a frequent topic in our home too, as I’m regularly asked, ‘When am I going to get a phone?’.

It’s encouraging to see this conversation taking place in public, as it’s essential to consider the impact of technology on young lives. But I’ve noticed to date it has been about discussing the problem rather than suggesting practical solutions, and we haven’t heard enough from young people themselves about their views on phone use and what would help them cut back.

We wanted to change this by putting solutions at the centre of the smartphone debate with the launch of our third Generation Isolation report, the largest survey of its kind into young people’s lives outside of school.

We worked with YouGov to survey 5,213 young people in England aged 11-18 and our findings are stark. It shows young people’s lives are dominated by screens, with smartphones being the most time-consuming activity outside of school. What’s most interesting is that more than half of young people (52%) want to spend less time on their phones, but 46% don’t know how.

It’s clear that young people themselves are dissatisfied with screen-based lives and are crying out for real life interaction. When asked what ONE thing would improve their life outside of school, young people called out for more affordable leisure activities (29%), more safe, fun spaces to socialise (24%), and more opportunities to learn skills not taught in school (16%).

We know how beneficial safe, inspiring spaces and amazing youth workers can be for young people; the report found that 93% of those who attend a youth centre say it has positively impacted their lives. If you visit a Youth Zone any night of the week, you’ll see this in action, as I did during my recent visit to a Junior session at WEST Youth Zone in White City. Every room was buzzing with energy and joy – without a smartphone in sight.

At the end of the session, everyone came together for a talent show, showcasing the songs and dances they had worked on throughout the evening. It got me thinking what those young people’s night would have looked like if they stayed at home, and I considered the thousands of young people across the country who are deprived of access to these vital spaces.

What’s clear from our research is that young people don’t want to be glued to their devices. But we can’t expect them to cut down if we don’t offer an alternative that’s better than life online – they must have access to opportunities that are aspirational, inspiring and affordable.

For myself, I know I’m in for a tough few years as my daughters’ frustrations likely grow at not being given smartphones. But from what I see in our Youth Zones and from this survey, it’s worth it to ensure they form friendships, interests, and hobbies in real life before life online becomes their world, as it sadly is for so many young people today.

Overall, my hope is that hearing from young people is a much-needed wake-up call to tech companies and government to make the changes necessary for young people to thrive in life.