Is Britain’s Economy at Risk Because of a Generation Shaped by Smartphones?

Britain’s youth unemployment problem is no longer just a jobs story. It is becoming a bigger question about whether the country understands a generation that grew up with smartphones, social media, disrupted schooling, and a very different relationship with stress, work, and attention.

The warning is sharp: former minister Alan Milburn says the UK risks an “economic catastrophe” unless it adapts to young people shaped by the digital world. His upcoming interim report examines why almost one million 16 to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education, or training, with mental health, sleep, concentration, and workplace readiness all part of the picture.