Virgin Media Helps Tackle Late-Night Scrolling

• Just over one in five (21%) Brits use their phone past midnight during the week, rising to 26% at weekends.
• Three in five (60%) 18–24-year-olds say they struggle to stick to their own digital curfew every night.
• More than half (54%) of UK adults say they would welcome technology that stops them from accessing social media at night.
• Virgin Media’s Essential Security, available to all customers at no additional cost, offers households the ability to use parental controls that can block selected website categories during chosen hours, helping to create healthier digital habits.

According to research by Virgin Media O2 and Akamai, despite good intentions, many UK adults are finding it difficult to disconnect before they go to sleep, with more than three-quarters (76%) taking their mobile phone to bed with them. More than one in four (29%) Brits say their mobile negatively impacts their bedtime routine.

To help households stay safe online and build healthier digital habits, Virgin Media offers Essential Security at no extra cost to all of its broadband customers. Powered by Akamai, the feature allows customers to set household ‘digital curfews’ by automatically blocking access to selected categories of websites, including social media, gambling and adult content, across all devices connected to the home broadband network during chosen hours.

It means people can take a break from being online so they can be more intentional with their time – whether reading a book before bed or settling in for a good night’s sleep, and parents can use the controls to implement set times their children can access the internet.

Brits struggle to balance bedtime browsing

The study of 2,000 adults found just over one in five (21%) Brits use their phone past midnight during the working week, rising to just over one in four (26%) on weekends. Three in five (60%) adults aged 18–24 say they struggle to stick to their self-imposed digital curfew every night, often intending to put their phone down in five minutes before losing track of time and staying online longer than planned.

The research also suggests that doomscrolling and digital entertainment have become firmly embedded in evening routines. Scrolling social media is the most common activity, with over half of Brits (54%) enjoying a late-night scroll, followed by watching reels or videos (43%) and messaging friends (40%).  Despite the lure of the infinite scroll, people want to switch off before bedtime with more than half (54%) of adults saying they would welcome technology that stops them from accessing social media at night.

Press pause with parental controls 

Parents are also feeling the impact. The research found that 66% worry their children spend too much time online. Concerns about sleep are widespread, with nearly one in four (23%) parents saying smartphones and other connected devices are damaging their child’s ability to get a good night’s rest. However, only 5% of parents say they do nothing to help their child achieve a healthy balance in how they use their devices.

One way parents can help support healthier online habits is through Virgin Media’s parental controls. While more than half (55%) of parents are aware that they can block certain categories of websites, they have not used the feature with their children.

Building better digital habits

It comes as Virgin Media O2 has launched its Digital Wellbeing Manifesto – a long-term approach to supporting more intentional phone use through improved tools, clearer guidance and greater transparency and control over how people engage with digital services.

The company is also funding the establishment of a major new research initiative ‘The Digital Wellbeing Observatory’, for the next five years at the University of Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. It will track how the British public are using technologies such as Generative AI, and its effects on health and wellbeing, through a multi-year series of surveys and community-focused roadshows.

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, with growing awareness of the impact it can have on sleep and broader wellbeing now prompting people to look at how they can adopt healthier online habits at home. Virgin Media’s Essential Security offering equips our customers with simple tools to help them manage their screen time, including setting social media curfews to have greater control of their night-time internet and device usage.”

Dr Tomasz Hollanek at Cambridge University 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.”

Available at no extra cost, Virgin Media’s Essential Security helps keep households safer online by protecting every device connected to the home broadband network. Customers can automatically block access to selected categories of websites during chosen hours, including sites linked to social media, gambling and adult content, helping households establish healthier digital routines.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Research conducted by Censuswide 2,000 Nationally Representative UK Respondents (aged 18+) between 10.07.2026 – 13.07.2026.

Virgin Media customers can access parental controls designed to help manage online activity in the home, including content filtering and time-based controls that allow access to selected online services to be restricted during chosen hours. Users can still access the internet if they choose to via their mobile phone’s network on 4G or 5G.