England apparently has the unhappiest children in Europe. One-in-five English children have a mental health issue, as well as one-in-four young people aged 16 to 24.

A combination of factors is to blame for this crisis in youth health, but the effects of one in particular has shown worrying effectiveness in crushing youth happiness – mobile phone addiction.

A number of 2025 studies have shown half of children now showing signs of phone addiction, teenagers reporting signs of screen addiction at a higher risk of suicide, and the average 12-year-old now spending 29 hours per week on a smartphone.

“Doomscrolling” – the name given to excessive consumption of short-form content on phones – is not the only cause of the youth mental health crisis, but it must be addressed as a priority, with our children falling into a cycle of life dissatisfaction before their life has even begun.

The old ways of childhood – play, time in nature and in-person connection – should be at the forefront of tackling this crisis. It’s an area where England has fallen too far behind neighbouring nations, and we must learn from others' successes to act for the sake of our children as they have theirs.

Not-so-social networks

Social media has created an overwhelming sense of anxiety in young people, with recent studies showing a correlation between social media and loneliness and a sense that young people feel trapped in the digital world.

It’s not surprising, then, that almost half of our children would prefer a world without the internet, according to a recent report showing children support a ‘digital curfew’. 70% of those asked in the study reported feeling worse after spending time on social media, but despite this self-recognition of social media’s damning effects on mood, screen time continues to rise.

This begs the question: Why are our children trapped – and why aren’t we doing more to help?

How England can do better

Social media should have no presence where traditional forms of communication and play could thrive – especially when it comes to school.

England has fallen well behind other countries in curbing school smartphone use, which in the UK, remains an optional policy. France has banned mobile phones in primary and middle schools since 2018, with the policy expanded this year to affect all schools following the success of the policy.

Italy, as recently as last year, banned mobile phones in primary and lower-secondary school classes (including breaks), as have Belgium, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and more.

England must move away from statutory guidelines for mobile phones in schools and towards nationwide bans on phone use – especially after reports of improved student engagement, fewer distractions, and less cyberbullying in countries enacting bans.
Screen use during playtime is detrimental to children's development during the early years foundation stage (EYFS), which relies on play equipment to support children's creativity, social skills, motor development and more.

Schools & cyberbullying

Smartphones have become ever-present in classrooms and corridors, blurring the lines between school life and social media. For many children, the school day no longer offers a break from online pressures and risks.

Bullying, once confined to playground whispers or lunchroom cliques, now follows pupils home through group chats, viral videos, and anonymous posts. Cyberbullying is relentless, harder to detect, and just as mentally damaging — with some children receiving hundreds of hostile messages before a teacher or parent becomes aware.

In this constant digital environment, even positive social interactions come with pressure. The need to stay connected, curate a public persona, or respond instantly to group messages can cause anxiety, exclusion, and distraction. One in five school-aged children in school have experienced cyberbullying – with recent studies showing that its symptoms are similar to those of PTSD for a developing child.

Many teachers and parents now find themselves battling a technology they feel ill-equipped to manage, especially when platforms and devices evolve faster than the rules designed to regulate them. This lack of structure leaves a significant gap, one that responsible education policy could aim to fill.

How England can do better

England’s politicians have been slow to react to social media’s rapid development over the last 10 years, especially in their understanding of how complex algorithms boost hateful content, and how it preys on impressionable people to generate ad revenue.

Shock and controversy are a business, and on socials, children are becoming the target audience.

Finland has continued to evolve with the times, adapting its school curriculum to address new forms of disinformation, hate and propaganda online. This includes addressing hateful social content designed to coerce young people.

The UK could benefit from similar curriculum-based learning on social media literacy. After all, schools teach the dangers of drugs and smoking due to their addictive and dangerous nature, but with screen addiction linked to a higher risk of suicide, why aren’t we addressing social media addiction?

In Australia, an all-out social media ban is set to come into effect from the end of 2025 – another avenue the UK could explore for young children. While restrictive policing adolescents' freedoms never ends well (as any parent will tell you), bans for pre-teens with more rigorous age verification would ensure their formative years remain focused on what’s important – play, family and friends.

As of July 13th, two fathers wrote to the UK education secretary to announce that they will seek a judicial review in a bid for a statutory ban on smartphones in school, signalling a similar desire for UK parents for further smartphone regulation.

Diminishing community spaces

Children may feel trapped in the digital world, but it’s not as simple as putting down the phone and going outside. Another driver of increasing screen time is the lack of in-person resources and activities available. Why have we let the real world disappear for our children?

From UK gardens getting smaller to parks getting further away, “no ball games” signs and closing youth centres – many of our young people have only access to social media or nothing, outside of school time.

Over a decade of play decline overseen by the previous government means 793 play parks have been closed down in the last 10 years, and when coupled with the fact that one in eight children live in a household with no garden, it’s clear that we must do more to reopen opportunities for physical play.

Physical play goes beyond the obvious benefits of improved physical health; it builds social skills, aids communication and supports a child’s natural curiosity about the world around them. Not to mention, Unicef found that children who play regularly are less likely to develop anxiety – making the benefits of play a direct counter to the disadvantages of social media dependency.

On June 11th 2025, I had the pleasure of visiting the House of Commons for the launch of the Raising the Nation Play Commission report – Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play. Here, I voiced my support for a National Play Strategy, supported by funding to bring back play to our country.

How England can do better

The UK government recently unveiled a huge £2 billion funding plan for 18,000 new social and affordable homes, a part of their wider strategy to build 1.5 million new homes. This is the perfect opportunity for the UK to follow in the footsteps of Austria, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and others to codify playground access in planning laws – improving playground access for more communities.

As recommended in the Raising the Nation Play Commission report, we must design child-friendly neighbourhoods through pro-play planning policy – including the introduction of more inclusive, free playgrounds for families.

The rise of social media, phone addiction, and the threat to traditional play have made being a parent more stressful now than in recent memory. However, with the government listening to play experts’ concerns, and our European partners leading by example, there’s just as much of a reason to feel hopeful.

While we fight for top-down change to help our children reconnect with the real world, we can all start by disincentivising mobile phone use by children – and to that end – we should restrict phone use until they are old enough to sensibly navigate social media and its dangers.

Playdale Playgrounds President, Barry Leahey MBE.

Barry Leahey MBE has been President of Playdale Playgrounds since 2004, Barry Leahey MBE started his journey with Playdale as the Sales & Marketing Director. Responsible for introducing children abroad to Playdale’s innovative playground equipment, Barry’s driving influence is bringing laughter and play to children across the globe.

Barry was awarded an MBE in 2017 for contributions to UK trade and exports. He has also been recognised as North West Director of the Year, Export Leader of the Year, features on the Daily Telegraph’s list of the UK’s Most Ambitious Business Leaders and is an active supporter of children’s charity NSPCC.