What is often described as being ‘tech savvy’ is, for my generation, simply the baseline. I was born in 2001, which means I have grown up alongside smartphones, social media and constant connectivity – not as a privilege gained later in life but as something that has always been there. It also means I have been able to observe and experience rapid technological changes first-hand, while still being old enough to remember when using the internet was more ‘defined’. That is, when the computer was a place in the house and accessing the internet was something you did intentionally. You would log on, spend time on it and then log out, often with only one person able to use it at a time. It wasn’t constant.
However, this has evolved considerably. I have watched, in real time, how these platforms have developed over the past 10-15 years and how the way we access them has changed with it. Moving from something occasional into something far more constant and consuming – with over 93% of the UK population now owning a smartphone. There are clear benefits: instant communication, more flexible working patterns and easier access to information, services and opportunities.
The real change is in how, and how often, we use it. What began as something more functional and intentional is now far more embedded in everyday life – a near constant stream of social media, content and notifications. That sense of normality is worth reflecting on, particularly when it becomes difficult to separate what feels familiar from what is healthy and sustainable.
Yet the way this issue is often framed suggests it is primarily a problem for younger generations – I’d argue strongly against that.
I recently made a conscious decision to take a step back from X after noticing how quickly the algorithm began feeding me more of what I already thought or feared. Despite recognising that pattern, I have found myself returning to it daily – especially with the upcoming Scottish Holyrood election and ongoing conflict in the Middle East drawing more attention online.
What is often described as doomscrolling has taken on a different weight. Posts predicting market crashes, urging people to stock up on water, withdraw cash and prepare for internet blackouts begin to blur together. The effect is a constant sense that something is about to go wrong and it becomes difficult not to be drawn into that – even when you understand how the algorithm works.
This has been brought into sharper focus by a recent US case in which a jury found Meta and Google negligent in the design of their platforms – awarding a young woman around $6 million in damages. It focused on Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube platforms – and how features like algorithmic feeds and infinite scroll are deliberately engineered to encourage prolonged and potentially addictive patterns of use.
At the same time, there is a wider contradiction that is difficult to ignore. We are increasingly open about the fact that phones are addictive and that social media platforms are designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible. Research has shown that these platforms are structured around reward mechanisms, including dopamine-driven feedback loops, for example through likes, notifications and endless new content. This reinforces repeated use and makes disengaging more difficult, with some evidence suggesting patterns similar to other forms of addictive behaviour. That is widely understood, yet beyond acknowledging it (often alongside a hefty share of the blame placed on the companies themselves), very little seems to change in practice.
It is also not just young people who are affected. Smartphone use is now close to universal across all age groups and adults in the UK spend, on average, around four and a half hours a day on smartphones, tablets or computers according to Ofcom.
Social media is used across all age groups and the habits it creates are just as visible in adults as they are in younger users, yet the expectation remains that we stay connected and continue to engage even when we recognise the effects in ourselves. For context, LinkedIn now has around 23 million more users in comparison to Snapchat in the UK – an app largely associated with younger users.
What stands out is how embedded this has become in everyday life. Checking a phone is no longer a conscious decision but something almost automatic, filling small gaps throughout the day. That applies not just to younger generations but increasingly to adults as well. A recent UK study found that scrolling social media is now the most frequent leisure activity among adults, despite being ranked the least enjoyable.
This has led me to think more carefully about the current debate around mobile phones, particularly in schools. A debate was brought to the Scottish Parliament this week on whether mobile phones should be banned in schools – with growing concern around their impact on attention, learning and wellbeing. Figures often cited suggest young people are spending around five and a half hours a day on their phones.
This sits within a wider policy conversation. The UK Government is currently exploring further measures around children’s social media use – including stronger regulation of platforms and age-related restrictions. Together, these debates reflect an increasing awareness on how these technologies are shaping behaviour, learning and wider societal norms.
In many cases, campaigns such as calls for mobile phone-free schools are, in practice, responding less to the device itself and more to the social media and content it delivers. The phone becomes the visible problem, but it is what sits behind it that shapes behaviour and drives much of the concern.
If we recognise the risks this pattern of constant use creates for young people, there is a strong argument for creating environments where their attention can be protected. However, that also raises a more uncomfortable question: if this pattern of constant use is a concern in that context, what does it look like for the rest of us?
By framing the issue primarily as one concerning young people, it risks overlooking the extent to which the norms they are navigating have been shaped by adults. Phones are not simply a feature of adolescence but a defining part of how all of us now live; shaping how we work, how we socialise and how we spend time alone. A child being told to put their phone away is often surrounded by adults who are doing the opposite. The purposes may differ – checking emails, updating colleagues or seeking information rather than solely using social media – but the pattern of constant use remains.
Seen in that light, the idea of a more social media-free or mobile-conscious society cannot be reduced to a question of school policy alone. It becomes part of a broader conversation about what we consider normal and what we are willing to accept in exchange for convenience.
Realistically, could any of us live without our phones, even for a short period of time? Not in theory, but in practice, in the way our days are currently structured. For most people (including myself), the answer is probably no – or at least not without significant disruption. This is especially true considering that people in the UK check their smartphones, on average, every 12 minutes of the waking day.
If that is the case, then this is not simply a question about young people or schools. It is about the habits we continue to accept, even when we recognise the negative effects they may be having.
There remains a great deal we do not fully understand about the impacts of extensive mobile phone use, social media and screen time. It is not always openly acknowledged, despite how embedded these technologies have become in everyday life. That uncertainty makes it all the more important to consider how they are shaping behaviour and expectations across society – and to recognise that this is not just a question about young people but about all of us.
Morgan Higgins is Enlighten’s Digital Engagement Lead