School phone bans don’t improve grades or wellbeing, new study shows
A new study finds school phone bans alone don’t improve grades or wellbeing, calling for a broader approach to managing children’s screen time.
Banning smartphones in schools might seem like a straightforward way to improve children’s focus, behaviour and wellbeing, but new research suggests it’s not that simple.
A new study has found that while excessive phone use is linked to lower grades, poor sleep and disruptive behaviour, banning phones at school alone does not fix these issues.
The research, conducted by the University of Birmingham and published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, looked at 1,227 students across 30 secondary schools. It found no significant difference in grades or wellbeing between schools that banned phones and those that didn’t.
However, the study reinforced the idea that excessive screen time negatively affects children’s mental health, sleep patterns and physical activity. The researchers concluded that while reducing phone and social media use is crucial, bans in schools should be part of a much broader strategy.
Lead researcher Dr Victoria Goodyear told the BBC: “What we’re suggesting is that those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impact. We need to do more than just ban phones in schools.”
Why aren’t school phone bans enough?
One key finding of the study was that restricting phone use during school hours didn’t significantly reduce overall screen time. Instead, students made up for it outside of school, meaning the negative effects of excessive phone use persisted.
The research suggested that to truly improve children’s wellbeing, policies should focus on managing phone and social media use both in and out of school. This could include better education around digital habits, parental involvement and stronger regulations on social media platforms.
Calls for a ‘holistic’ approach
The study recommended a more comprehensive strategy that doesn’t rely solely on bans but instead addresses the root of the issue—how and why children are using their phones so much.
Joe Ryrie, director of the campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood, admitted the findings were “somewhat surprising” but agreed that more needed to be done beyond just banning phones. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said:
It’s now becoming widely accepted among the educational establishment that kids having access to smartphones during the school day is detrimental for their ability to focus, for safeguarding, for behaviour, and for students’ mental health.
However, he acknowledged that simply removing phones from classrooms wouldn’t solve the wider issue of excessive screen time. He urged parents to delay giving their children smartphones and called for stricter regulation of social media platforms, arguing:
Far tougher regulation is going to be needed to make social media platforms safer and non-addictive for kids, because the really stark statistic in this report is that the average daily time students spend on their smartphone was four to six hours. That’s a terrifying amount of time for children to spend scrolling and swiping.
What does this mean for parents?
For parents, the study highlights the need for a balanced approach when it comes to managing their children’s screen time. While school policies on phone use can help, they are not a complete solution. Instead, experts recommend:
- Setting clear boundaries: Establish screen-free times at home, such as during meals or before bed.
- Encouraging offline activities: Promoting hobbies, sports and face-to-face socialising.
- Leading by example: Modelling healthy phone use as parents.
- Talking about digital wellbeing: Helping children understand how excessive screen time can affect their mood, sleep and concentration.
The government has acknowledged the need for more research into the impact of smartphones on children. A spokesperson confirmed that a new study, led by the University of Cambridge, is underway to explore the effects of social media on young people’s wellbeing.
Meanwhile, the Online Safety Act, set to come into force this summer, aims to introduce stricter regulations on social media platforms to protect children from harmful content and addictive design features.
While phone bans in schools might seem like a quick fix, this study suggests they’re only one piece of the puzzle. To truly tackle the impact of excessive screen time, a combined effort from schools, parents, and policymakers will be needed.
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Authors
Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.
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