Scrolling in bedrooms after midnight a driver of youth joblessness – Milburn
Alan Milburn has highlighted the impact of social media on youth joblessness, describing young people as part of a 'bedroom generation.' He argues that anxiety linked to social media is contributing to economic inactivity among nearly a million young people in the UK. Milburn's upcoming report is expected to address the need for businesses to adapt to the mental health challenges faced by this cohort.
- ▪Alan Milburn claims that social media is affecting the sleep patterns and concentration levels of young people.
- ▪He emphasizes that the current generation is not 'soft' but rather anxious and struggling with mental distress.
- ▪An estimated 12.8% of individuals aged 16 to 24 in the UK were classified as NEET in late 2025.
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NewsUKUK PoliticsScrolling in bedrooms after midnight a driver of youth joblessness – MilburnYoung people are ‘sort of living in their bedrooms – they are on all the time, they’re never off,’ Alan Milburn said.Will Meakin-Durrant Saturday 23 May 2026 09:32 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"a8a972de-22a2-4c55-a647-de5f9a8e0c1b","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/alan-milburn-anxiety-employers-government-people-b2982409.html","title":"Scrolling in bedrooms after midnight a driver of youth joblessness – Milburn"}}open image in…
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