Warrington teens open up on smartphone and social media use at BBC summit

THE thoughts and concerns of Warrington teenagers on smartphones and social media have been shared in a BBC summit.

It follows a survey commissioned by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize that revealed half of teenagers aged 13 to 18 said they feel anxious when they do not have their smartphones with them.

Moreover, three quarters (74 per cent) said they would not consider swapping their smartphones for a more basic device that only allows phone calls and text messages.

While a quarter (25 per cent) said they use their phones for more than five hours on a typical day.

On a positive note, 75 per cent of teens questioned said they feel positive about their future, with only 11 per cent feeling negative about lies ahead.

The online poll surveyed 2,000 teenagers aged 13 to 18, asking them questions on a range of different issues affecting teenage lives.

These topics ranged from anxiety and social media, phone use and addiction, to sexual harassment and street safety.

The findings from the poll were discussed live from the Teen24 Summit on BBC Radio 5 Live as part of a collaboration with BBC Bitesize.

Nicky Campbell hosted a live, two-hour teen summit from the Halliwell Jones Stadium, with an audience of young people from the town.

He asked them their opinions on smartphones, social media, influencers, and other topics that affect teen lives.

A summit was held at Halliwell Jones Stadium. Picture: PA

The survey comes as Birchwood mum Esther Ghey pushes the Government to stop children having access to social media apps on smartphones, and for companies to flag searches of inappropriate material to parents.

“We would like a law introduced so that there are mobile phones that are only suitable for under-16s,” she said.

“So, if you are over 16, you can have an adult phone, but then under the age of 16, you can have a children's phone, which will not have all of the social media apps that are out there now.”

Her campaign comes in the wake of the murder of her daughter Brianna, with her killers discussing shocking content accessed on the dark web.

Heidi Dawson, controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “Understanding how teenagers feel and think about the world is crucial, and this survey provides fascinating insights.

“Some of the findings are eye-opening, and the research shows there is a big conversation needed on teen issues and mobile phone use.”

Head of BBC Education, Helen Foulkes, added: “BBC Bitesize provides a wide range of content to help young people thrive and survive during their school years.

“This survey gives us an even better insight into the challenges, concerns and aspirations of teenagers across the UK.

“We are delighted to be able to help them navigate these things, and understand themselves better, with the launch of the Bitesize World of Wellbeing podcast and the My Teenage Brain series.

“Both are fantastic additions to the amazing help and advice already available on Bitesize Study Support.”