'I cut phone screen time in half and life changed'

Violet gave up her habit of phone scrolling for eight to 10 hours every day

A family said they had seen a "massive difference" after their teenage daughter decided to drastically cut down her smartphone use.

Violet, 14, took part in a screen time challenge at her school in Wakefield after realising she was spending up to 10 hours a day on social media apps.

Her parents told the BBC that Violet had formed closer relationships with family members, developed new interests and seen her mental health improve after cutting down on scrolling.

The teenager said she often felt insecure when browsing "filtered" user images on video platform TikTok, but now preferred reading and listening to vinyl records.

Violet attended a school workshop in May where 30 pupils were invited to take part in a three-week programme aimed at educating them about screen time.

She said she felt "a bit sad" after noticing how many hours she spent on her phone.

"I could have spent that time with my mum, she's lonely downstairs," she said.

Violet has cut her screen time by more than half

After the programme ended, Violet decided to make the challenge a permanent part of her life and dropped her average phone usage to less than four hours a day.

"I wanted to reduce my screen time but I would think, 'how can I when there is nothing but my phone'?

"There would be days when I would spend about an hour doing homework but other than that, it was just TikTok.

"When you’re on TikTok you see things like the new skincare routine everyone is doing, so I got a bit insecure.

"When you’re looking at people with clear skin and filters all the time, you think ‘why don’t I look like that'?"

Violet says she spends more time reading, baking and with family

Now, Violet has swapped social media for activities such as baking.

She added: "I’ve managed to read four books already this month.

"I prefer using vinyl over my phone (to listen to music). It doesn’t increase my screen time and it’s fun to collect the records."

Violet has also become "more open" to accepting invites to spend more time with family, which included going to an ABBA tribute concert with her grandmother.

"A year ago I probably would not have wanted to but I said yes because I love ABBA and it’s fun to spend time with my family," she said.

In a survey of 2,000 13 to 18-year-olds, conducted by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBCBitesize earlier this year, young people were asked about various aspects of life - including mental health and their smartphone habits.

The findings of the survey, carried out by polling company Survation, suggest:

23% agree that smartphones should be banned for under-16s

35% think social media should be banned for under-16s

50% say not having their smartphone on them makes them feel anxious. Last year, this figure was slightly higher (56%)

To help her achieve her screen time goals, Violet set timers on her apps. She has a one-hour limit on instant messaging app Snapchat and two hours on TikTok.

"I don’t spend ages and ages watching random people on TikTok, I’m actually doing something with myself," she added.

James said he was "horrified" at the amount of time Violet spent on her phone

Violet's father, James, said he had been "horrified" when he found out how much time his daughter spent on her phone.

"My view was that all children go on their phones and it was part of fitting in and being connected to the modern world," he said.

"But it probably was impacting her welfare, from speaking to her afterwards."

He has encouraged other parents to check in on their children's screen time figures and "open up the debate".

"Could that time be spent elsewhere doing quality things with your children?" he said.

Derek and Julie said they had built a stronger relationship with their granddaughter

Violet's grandparents, Derek and Julie, said less screen time had made their relationship with the 14-year-old flourish.

The pair said that previously, Violet would "isolate herself with her iPad".

"She would just take herself away. She was so bad that she would get a charger and just sit on the floor with it until it charged," Julie said.

"We have seen a massive difference," Derek explained.

"She has some of my vinyl records which I’ve treasured but have now passed on to her."

Julie added that Violet wanted to spend more time with her.

"She shows more interest in what I’m doing and she wants to help," Julie said.

"She is just so grown-up now. She is a lot more confident."

Violet has set an example to her parents - who have now banned phones from the dinner table so that the family can enjoy conversations.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]