As worries about the detrimental effects of smartphones on the wellbeing of young people mount, the first national poll of its type found that most schools in England have banned mobile phone use during school hours.
According to the poll, which was ordered by Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, 90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools have some kind of mobile phone ban in place.
The results show that school administrators have made the decision to restrict pupils’ use of smartphones in class.
The National Education Union’s (NEU) general secretary, Daniel Kebede, expressed strong support for a statutory prohibition, claiming that it would lessen the workload for parents, teachers, and school administrators.
In my opinion, I would be in favor of a law that forbids cell phones in classrooms, Kebede stated. It would, in my opinion, relieve parents’ pressure as well.
Kebede spoke about the “damaging impact” that smartphones have on kids, especially when it comes to exposing them to dangers that can occur online.
Kebede also argued for a total ban on social media for children under the age of sixteen, likening the effects of apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok to those of tobacco companies on youth mental health.
