University of York Team Awarded Major Grant to Investigate Smartphone Effects on Youth
Posted on Thursday 22 January 2026
A team of scientists at the University of York, led by Professor Lisa Henderson, has been awarded a major grant of £873,283 to investigate the effects of digital technology on brain development, social behaviours, and mental health in young people.
The funding was awarded by the Huo Family Foundation, a London-based grant-giving nonprofit, following a highly competitive international funding call open to research teams across the UK and the United States.
Today’s youth are growing up in an "always-connected" world. While digital tools can offer opportunities for connection and learning, increasing evidence links intensive use to sleep disruption, poor mental health, and cognitive decline - particularly among girls, neurodiverse youth, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Despite these concerns, UK policy has lagged due to a lack of high-quality causal evidence. This three-year research project aims to fill that gap. The team will carry out a large-scale robust randomised controlled trials evaluating digital detox interventions in adolescents in collaboration with UK secondary schools, generating high-quality data on how, when and why digital exposure can be problematic for young people’s health. Collectively, this will provide much-needed translational evidence to shape effective digital health and education policy.
Based jointly in the Departments of Psychology and Education, Professor Henderson’s team brings together extensive collective expertise in the neuroscience of sleep, mental health, computer science and statistical analysis.
The project includes 5 Co-Investigators, including Professor Umar Toseeb, Professor Harriet Over, Dr Emma Sullivan, and Professor Scott Cairney from the Department of Psychology, and Dr. Beth Bell (Department of Education). The project also benefits from an outstanding Expert Advisory Group, including Dr David Zendle (Director of University of York’s Smart Data Donation Service), Professor Bernadka Dubicka (Department of Health Sciences), Professor Ben Cater (Kings College London), the Sleep Charity (CEO Vicki Beevers), Health Professionals for Safer Screens UK (Drs Rebecca Foljambe & Arabella Skinner), Sophie Winkleman (children’s charity patron & digital safety campaigner) and numerous schools and Directors of Safeguarding (including Mr Steve Ackers) - across the UK.
Professor Lisa Henderson said:
"We are incredibly excited to embark on this new project with the Huo Family Foundation. Our team is at the forefront of research exploring the critical connections between sleep, mental health, and digital behaviours across the lifespan. By combining cutting-edge science with real-world interventions, our goal is to improve wellbeing and enable healthier digital futures for young people."
Building on the Success of "Swiped"
The new project builds on the findings of the Channel 4 documentary Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones (aired in December 2024). The documentary followed a pilot study led by Professor Henderson involving a 21-day smartphone ban among 12-year-olds in a Surrey school. The results revealed measurable improvements in sleep, reduced anxiety, and enhanced short-term memory.
Supported by the Huo Family Foundation, the team will now scale this research nationally. The project involves a randomised controlled trial (RCT) across 24 secondary schools, with educational input from an additional 42 primary schools and colleges.
Professor Umar Toseeb said:
“The evidence base in this area is severely lacking. Parents, schools, policymakers, and young people themselves want to know about the impact of smartphones on social, emotional, and cognitive development. We hope this study will provide high quality evidence and inform policies around the use of smartphones in schools”
"Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones" - Series 1, Episode 1 on Channel 4 featuring the York team (December 2024). The picture above is showing a 12-year-old pupil wearing an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain response and sleep
National Impact and Collaboration
The project will culminate in a stakeholder event at the Houses of Parliament, gathering policymakers, charities, and academics to translate findings into actionable legislation.
Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Professor Sarah Thompson, said:
‘’The University of York is thrilled that the Departments of Psychology and Education have been awarded this important funding. This opportunity will bring together our experts and key partners to investigate how screen exposure, social media, and sleep deprivation influence adolescent well-being. We are deeply grateful to the Huo Family Foundation for supporting the Sleep Lab’s pioneering work on smartphone bans in schools, with the goal of scaling this research nationally.’’
Mr Yan Huo, founder of the Huo Family Foundation, said:
“Digital technology is profoundly shaping childhood and young adulthood, yet there is little causal evidence on its effects. Through this programme, we are proud to support exceptional researchers advancing vital scientific understanding. We were particularly keen to champion early career scientists whose innovative ideas will help shape the field for years to come.”
Read more:
- Read the Huo Family Foundation’s grant announcement.
- Watch the Channel 4 Documentary Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones
- For more information about this piece of research, please contact Philanthropy Manager, Audrey Bounaix at audrey.bounaix@york.ac.uk