Research and analysis

Understanding the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people

Feasibility study of methods and data to understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people.

• From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
• Published: 20 January 2026

Documents

Understanding the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people: executive summary

HTML

Understanding the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people

PDF, 4.96 MB, 378 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alt.formats@dsit.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This report highlights the lack of high-quality causal evidence linking children’s mental health and wellbeing and their use of digital technologies, specifically, social media, smartphones and AI chatbots.

It recommends prioritising policy-relevant research questions and methodologies that can create robust causal evidence, enhance cohort studies with data on digital usage and involve young people and communities in co-developing experimental interventions.

Published 20 January 2026