Pinterest introduces new tool for UK teens to manage phone use during school hours

Pinterest has launched a new in-app prompt that encourages teens to close the app and switch off notifications during school hours.

This was in response to British teenagers calling for support to manage their phone use during school, according to new research released by Pinterest. The data shows that 57% of 13- to 16-year-olds in the UK want to better control the time they spend on mobile devices.

UK teens currently spend an average of five hours per day on their phones. Nine in ten say their devices interfere with being present in school or engaging in real-life activities. More than half (54%) believe excessive use is as harmful, or worse, than eating junk food all day or not wearing sunscreen.

“In the classroom, students need the opportunity to learn without the constant distraction of apps on their phones,” said Bill Ready, CEO, Pinterest. “Limiting the use of phones in schools is a topic more prevalent than ever amongst educators and government, but to be truly effective, tech companies need to be part of the solution. Pinterest is setting out to support students, parents and teachers, who should not shoulder the responsibility alone.”

The feature was first tested earlier this year in the US and Canada, where over 1.3 million students viewed and clicked on the prompt within a month. The app noted, when a teen opens the app during school hours, a message appears encouraging them to pause use and mute notifications. Feedback from early tests suggested the tone sounded too much like a parent or teacher, so the updated UK version now uses casual phrases such as ‘busy being brilliant?’ and ‘take a break’.

According to the app's data, boredom (52%) and fear of missing out (40%) are the biggest challenges teens face when attempting to reduce phone use. Almost 40% said prompts or settings that remind them to pause would help them manage screen time more effectively.