SOCIALS AND MOBILES
“Reading is becoming more popular with children aged five to 18, with around a third saying they enjoy reading in their free time”
universe. Banning social media is a start, but campaigners want the government to fill the gap this creates, investing in outdoor spaces and affordable activities. Schools have long been strong supporters of reducing mobile phone use. Virtually all primary schools and nine in ten secondary schools had introduced their own
restrictions well before a formal ban was introduced in June. Already, a few hopeful signs have emerged. Children are rediscovering books. According to the National Literacy Trust, reading is becoming more popular with children aged five to 18, with around a third saying they enjoy reading in their free time (though
that does, of course, still mean that two-thirds don’t…) and are using it to help them relax. While a modest rise, it could, perhaps, be a sign that parents and educators have the power to get their children’s missing childhoods back. Assuming, of course, that we can all put our own phones down for long enough!
46 AUTUMN/WINTER 2026
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