Local. Left behind. Prey to populist politics? What the data tells us about the 2024 UK rioters

The Guardian has scrutinised data that provides insights into the lives of hundreds of people accused of taking part in the unrest

Only 3% of UK 12-year-olds don’t have a smartphone. Here is how four of them feel about it

There has been a huge wave of parental concern about smartphones this year. So do kids without them feel deprived – or more alive?

NHS pilot uses virtual reality to tackle racism and discrimination among staff

Immersive training scenarios highlight experiences of minority ethnic colleagues in health service

How a digital detox day could help people take control of downtime

Offline Club’s first global event on Sunday will begin with tips on how to be phone-free for 24 hours every week

‘You feel omnipresent’: bringing city care to India’s country hospitals

With no intensive care available in remote areas, many patients died on their way to city hospitals. Now rural medics are using tele-ICU systems to save lives

Meta to put under-18 Instagram users into new ‘teen accounts’

Change giving parents greater control comes as governments consider social media age limits

Surgery, shame and self-erasure: four female writers on the tyranny of impossible beauty standards

How did Botox become so popular? And why are teenage girls using anti-wrinkle cream? As a new film, The Substance, considers our obsession with youth and good looks, writers reflect on how this has shaped their lives

Hunched over my smartphone while my family slept, I knew I had to break my addiction. But how?

The modern world just isn’t set up for non-smartphone users, but after a few faltering steps away from mine, my life changed, says Will Clempner

The Observer view on the NHS: If it is to ‘reform or die’, let’s start with the way it handles our data

Properly organised, the mammoth database of medical information the health service holds has vast potential in the exploration of new treatments

From spy cams to deepfake porn: fury in South Korea as women targeted again

National police agency says it is investigating 513 cases of deepfake pornography as a new scandal grips the country

Academy chain with 35,000 pupils to be first in England to go phone-free

Exclusive: Ormiston academies trust says impact of smartphones on learning and mental health has been ‘catastrophic’

How going phone-free taught pupils at English secondary ‘to socialise, old school’

At Tenbury High students play tag rather than stare at screens after it brought in one of toughest phone policies

Parents ‘don’t use’ parental controls on Facebook and Instagram, says Nick Clegg

Meta’s global affairs chief points to ‘behavioural issue’ around child safety tools on the social media platforms

Wikipedia is facing an existential crisis. Can gen Z save it?

The world’s most important knowledge platform needs young editors to rescue it from chatbots – and its own tired practices, says tech writer Stephen Harrison

Sausage rolls and Oasis: ‘Britishcore’ TikTok trend drives interest in UK culture

From crummy pubs to a ‘cheeky Tesco run’, some of the most mundane aspects of British life are going viral