Nearly half of young people in the UK would rather live in a world where the internet does not exist – a reality they have never experienced – according to a new survey.

The research revealed growing awareness among young people when it comes to the effect of the internet on their mental wellbeing.

Seven in ten (70%) 16 to 21 year olds reported that they feel worse about themselves after using social media.

Half (50%) of young people even supported a digital curfew which would restrict their access to sites and apps after 10pm, the report from the British Standards Institute said.

Almost half (46%) said they would rather exist as a young person in a world without the internet at all.

The survey also revealed alarming trends in the extent of internet and social media use among young people. One in four respondents spent at least four hours a day on social media, while 42% admitted to lying to their caretakers about their online practices. Over a quarter (27%) also shared their location online with strangers.

More concerning is that 42% admitted they had lied about their age online, while 40% said they had a decoy account, with over a quarter (27%) said they pretended to be a completely different person online.

These online practices from young people are especially problematic as age restrictions and identity authentication are some of the staple datapoints social media giants use to keep children safe online and restrict certain features or content.

The Online Safety Act requires social media giants to verify ages to restrict content – if children evade these measures, it could expose them to harmful material or interactions.

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The research also comes as Peter Kyle, technology secretary, claimed that the UK government was debating the prospect of mandatory cut off times for some social media apps.

Australia has also trialed a ban on social media altogether for under 16s, which was met with relief and controversy among teens and the public.

The survey, of 1,293 young people in the UK revealed that the youth is well aware of the negative impacts of the internet and social media.