Half of Senior Cycle Students Support Social Media Ban for Under-16s

Half of students in senior cycle of secondary school would support the introduction of a social media ban for under-16s, according to a new survey from Studyclix.

The poll of almost 1,800 fourth, fifth and sixth year students found that 50% would back moves by Ireland to follow the example of the Australian government in passing legislation to prevent people under the age of 16 from accessing major social media services like Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.

Along with a range of other findings, the Studyclix survey revealed that seven in ten (70%) senior cycle students believe social media is harmful for teenagers, while eight in ten (81%) say that exposure to social media makes studying harder. More than eight in ten (82%) said they would prefer less screen time, with a third (32%) reporting that they spend more than five hours on their phones each day.

The Government recently announced plans to introduce legislation restricting social media access for under-16s as part of its new digital and artificial intelligence strategy. The move comes in the context of increasing interest in social media age limits from governments in France and Spain.

Studyclix CEO and former teacher Luke Saunders said:

“Setting age limits for social media use is one thing, enforcing them is another. Studyclix also operates in Australia where a social media ban for under 16s has been introduced. So far, the fallout has shown that teenagers know how to circumvent these bans, whether through false responses to age checks, shared accounts, or VPNs.

“Any meaningful social media restriction has to start with parents. Giving a child a smartphone at age 12 and expecting them to stay off social media until they turn 16 isn’t realistic. As a parent community, we need to reflect on whether we’re introducing smartphones too early.”

Social Media

Some 70% of students feel social media is harmful for teenagers, with just one in ten (9%) disagreeing and one in five (21%) unsure.

Four in five (81%) believe social media makes studying harder, with just one in ten (11%) saying it has no effect. Indeed, such is the intensity of feeling about the harmful effects of social media, half (50%) of respondents reported that they would support an Australian-style social media ban for people under the age of 16. Almost a third (30%) said they would not support the measure while one in five (19%) were unsure.

Almost seven in ten (70%) cited distraction, lost time, and procrastination as the biggest negative impacts of phone use on school life. In terms of positive impacts, almost half (48%) cited the benefits of the phone as a study aid and resource.

Studyclix CEO and former teacher Luke Saunders said:

“It is striking that half of senior cycle students support a social media ban for younger teens. It suggests older senior cycle students feel they were exposed to social media too early and want stricter boundaries for those following them. Whether a ban is workable is another question, but the concern among students is real.”

Screen Time

Around half (49%) of all students are spending between three and four hours a day on their phones, with around a third (32%) reporting having more than five hours of screen time each day.

The survey reveals a common desire among students to restrict their phone usage, with more than eight in ten (82%) saying they would like less screen time. Asked to specify what they would like their daily screen time to be, more than half (54%) said one to two hours, one in five (22%) said three to four hours. Some 17% of respondents said they would like less than one hour.

When asked to specify what they would do if they could gain back time spent on their phones during the day, students said they would study, read, socialise, become more physically active and experience the outdoors.

Studyclix CEO and former teacher Luke Saunders said:

“Students are very self-aware about the impact of social media. That 70% say it’s harmful, and more than 80% want less screen time, tells us that young people themselves recognise the problem. When I give study advice to student groups, I will always make sure to highlight practical steps students can take to study better, such as turning off their notifications, putting their phone on aeroplane mode, and setting app limiters on the apps they are spending the most time on.”

Social and parental pressures

Almost a third of students (31%) identified a lack of motivation as the primary barrier to them doing well in school. One in four reported stress or mental health difficulties as their primary issue, while another one in four pointed to workload as their top challenge. Phone and social media use was the biggest barrier for around one in eight (13%).

The survey results for who puts more pressure on students to do well in school present something of a mixed picture. A third of students (33%) reported that neither parent puts pressure on them to do well in school. Three in ten (29%) said both parents applied pressure equally. One in five (20%) said their mother was the primary driver of school pressure, while one in ten (10%) said their father.

Studyclix CEO and former teacher Luke Saunders said:

“The picture around parental pressure is more balanced than stereotypes suggest. While mothers are still more often seen as the main driver of study pressure, almost as many students say both parents apply equal pressure, and a third feel no pressure at all.

“Supporting your teenager through exam time can be really difficult. In the coming weeks many parents will be reacting to their child’s mock exam or summer exam results. It’s really important to strike a balance between being supportive and pushy.”

Outlook

Most students are at least somewhat optimistic about the future, with equal numbers of respondents reporting being hopeful (29%) or excited (29%) about their prospects despite the rapidly evolving social and technological landscape. However, in a sign that events in the world are having a disconcerting effect on some senior cycle students, another three in ten (28%) said they feel nervous about the future.

Studyclix CEO and former teacher Luke Saunders said:

“Parents need to recognise that for many teenagers, the smartphone is now their main gateway to the world, including news. This often means exposure to a constant, algorithm-driven stream of content – particularly video – that can amplify anxiety.”

Other key findings include:

• TikTok is the social media platform which occupies most students’ time. More than half (57%) reported the short-form video platform as the app on which they spend the most time, followed by Instagram (17%), Snapchat (13%) and YouTube (10%).
• More than half of students (52%) got their first smartphone aged 11-12 years old. Almost a third received their phones aged 13-14, while more than one in ten (13%) got a smartphone aged 8-10. Most respondents (68%) agreed that they received their phones at the right age, while a quarter (26%) said they would get a smartphone later if given the same choice again. A minority (3%) said they would get one earlier.
• Students reported that a lack of transport facilities is preventing them from socialising or attending activities. This was true for three quarters (76%) of students living in rural areas, four in ten (39%) of suburban students, and one third (33%) of urban students, suggesting that phones may be filling the gaps created by this lack of public infrastructure.