Brighton offline man says smartphone ban would be difficult

Mr Young, now 24, said being on social media made him less sociable in person.

“Every bit of socialising was associated with an online activity,” Mr Young said, as he explained being online made him anxious in group settings and entering a room.

However, he said coming offline was still “very tough,” especially when he was at university.

He told BBC Radio Sussex enforcing a ban on smartphones would be “complicated” as the “benefits are so obvious and strong” for those wanting to fit in at school.

The survey commissioned by Parentkind consisted of 2,496 parents of school-aged children in England.

It found 83% parents said they felt smartphones were “harmful” to children and young people.

Mr Young said vulnerable people, especially teenagers, should “have proper guidance” on how to be online safely.

In February, schools in England were given non-statutory government guidance intended to stop the use of mobile phones during school hours.

A government spokesperson said once the Online Safety Act was implemented it would require platforms to “enforce their age limits and protect children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content”.