Club set up to help youths stuck on phones

A charity is encouraging youngsters to attend in-person activities after its research found youth isolation had increased because of smartphones.

A report by Onside showed at least half of the 5,200 young people it surveyed in the West Midlands struggled with anxiety and depression and wanted to stop using their phone but didn't know how.

The Way in Wolverhampton is one of 15 youth clubs in the UK set up by the charity offering free sports and music activities to encourage youngsters to socialise.

Young people there told the BBC they had found it hard to socialise in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Teenager Brennon said socialising again after the pandemic was "like starting from the bottom back to the top".

"Everyone you were friends with has probably disbanded during lockdown or you didn't talk to as much, so it changed up," he said.

He said he struggled to get out of his room during the pandemic, spending 11 hours a day on his phone "because I had nothing else to do".

"I couldn't go outside and do nothing, I just sat in my bed."

He started going to the youth club and took up boxing which he said helped with his confidence, self-esteem and health.

"If I'm just at home and got nothing to do I know three days of the week, I can just come here and just chill and talk to other people," he added.

The Way's head of youth work, Rebecca Bunger, said socialising was "key in the holistic development of our young people".

She said the facilities were really important and there should be more clubs available to youngsters.

"Our young people deserve investment in them to be the people we want them to grow into being," she said.

"I think that's fundamental, not just for this generation now but the next generation that comes up after them."

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