The UK is considering the idea of banning the sale of smartphones to children under the age of 16

Digital addiction among teenagers (primarily smartphone owners) is becoming an epidemic in the UK. Parents and teachers are sounding the alarm, forcing the government to impose restrictions on the use of smartphones by students in English schools.

Guidance for British schools, released in February, called for a ban on smartphones, requiring students to either leave them at home or keep them in special lockers in the classroom. One of the measures could also be a complete ban on the sale of smartphones to under-16s.

The sentiments of parents are eloquently demonstrated by the results of surveys. Of the nearly 2,500 Britons surveyed, about 60% are in favor of banning smartphones for under-16s, four out of five parents believe that gadgets are harmful to their children, and 64% believe that banning smartphones is a good idea. Only 20% were opposed to bans.

However, while the polls are being conducted, the situation is only getting worse – 97% of children already have smartphones by the age of 12, and by the age of 17 almost every teenager has one. In a flaccid attempt to make a difference at least, Meta has taken a step forward. To protect young Instagram users, it is testing a feature that blurs explicit images in messages shared by underage users.