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Almost two-thirds of schoolchildren would not mind if social media had never been invented, a survey has indicated. The study provides evidence of a growing backlash among young people disillusioned with the negative aspects of the technology, such as online abuse and fake news. As well as the 63% who would not care if it did not exist, even more pupils (71%) said they had taken temporary digital detoxes to escape social media.The survey of around 5,000 students at independent and state schools in England was commissioned by Digital Awareness UK and the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), a body which represents the heads of independent schools around the world. Many respondents indicated that social media is having a negative impact on their emotional well being. A total of 57% said they had received abusive comments online, 56% admitted to being on the edge of addiction, and 52% said social media makes them feel less confident about how they look or how interesting their life is.