Virgin Media pushes digital curfew tools as curbs loom

Virgin Media is promoting digital curfew tools for broadband customers as government ministers set out plans for online curfews and tighter controls on features aimed at 16 and 17-year-olds.

Research commissioned by Virgin Media O2 and Akamai found that 21% of Britons use their phone past midnight during the week, rising to 26% at weekends. The survey of 2,000 UK adults also found that 76% take their mobile phone to bed, while 29% said their handset has a negative effect on their bedtime routine.

Its Essential Security service, available to broadband customers at no extra cost, allows households to block selected categories of websites during chosen hours across devices connected to the home network, including social media, gambling and adult content.

The findings suggest a gap between people's intentions and their behaviour at night. Among adults aged 18 to 24, 60% said they struggle to stick to a self-imposed digital curfew each night, often staying online longer than planned.

Late-night social media use was the most common evening activity cited in the survey, with 54% saying they scroll social platforms before bed. Watching reels or videos followed at 43%, while 40% said they message friends late at night.

More than half of those surveyed, 54%, said they would welcome technology that stops them accessing social media at night. This suggests demand for stricter controls is not limited to parents managing children's internet use, but also extends to adults seeking limits for themselves.

Parents' concerns

The study found that 66% of parents worry their children spend too much time online. Nearly one in four, 23%, said smartphones and other connected devices are harming their child's ability to get a good night's sleep.

Only 5% of parents said they do nothing to support a healthier balance in their child's device use. More than half, 55%, said they know they can block certain categories of websites but have not used that feature with their children.

The figures come amid a wider debate over how platforms and network providers should help users manage time online, especially at night. Ministers have signalled support for new restrictions intended to better protect teenagers, while telecoms and technology groups are positioning their own tools as part of the response.

Virgin Media O2 has also outlined a broader digital wellbeing programme and is backing a research initiative at the University of Cambridge's Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. The project, called The Digital Wellbeing Observatory, is intended to study how the British public uses technologies including generative AI and how that affects health and wellbeing.

Nicola Green, Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: "Late-night scrolling has become a common habit for people of all ages. Growing awareness of the impact it can have on sleep and broader wellbeing is prompting people to look at how they can adopt healthier online habits at home. Virgin Media's Essential Security offering gives our customers simple tools to help them manage their screen time, including setting social media curfews for greater control over their night-time internet and device use."

Academic researchers involved in the wider discussion on digital habits argue that technical controls work best when they support conversations about use rather than act as a standalone fix.

Dr Tomasz Hollanek of the University of Cambridge said: "The real value of digital wellbeing tools lies in prompting conversations about healthy boundaries, screen time and the role technology should play in everyday life. Features such as social media curfews are not simply about restricting access. They create opportunities for parents and children to discuss, negotiate and build healthier digital habits together, which is necessary for meaningful change."