Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, argues that schools need to be better equipped and empowered to develop smartphone policies that work for them. She does not think a total government ban is the answer either. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she highlighted that most children are not spending their time on devices while at school, as schools have increasingly restricted phone usage.
Here’s what a recent survey of 19,000 schools and colleges commissioned by Dame Rachel showed us, some truly shocking stats. Indeed, of school-aged youth around the world, 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools now limit or ban phone use during school hours. Most primary schools (76%) require students to hand in their phones or leave them in a secure location throughout the day. The same pattern holds true at the secondary level. Here, 79% of institutions mandate that phones be out of view and not used at all.
Dame Rachel’s points are timely, as schools across the country are implementing measures to curb mobile phone use. Unfortunately, children are returning home to accrue hours of screen time there instead. These kids aren’t wasting these hours on their phones while sitting in school,” she said. Her comments underscore a growing concern about children’s excessive screen time. A second survey, this time of 502 children between eight and 15 years old, found 69% are using devices for more than two hours a day with 23% exceeding four hours.
Our Chief Regulator Dame Rachel decried that parents have become the default regulators of their children’s online lives. “Parents have to remember they are not the friends of their children. They are their parents – they’re there to protect their children [and] put the boundaries around them,” she noted. She challenged parents to supervise their kids’ use of technology and to set healthy limits.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union — No Phones in Schools, Please Kebede supports a government ban on smartphones in schools. He argues that the ban would alleviate pressure on educators and give more relief to parents. Nonetheless he reiterated Dame Rachel’s priorities for stronger protective measures in the digital space. “We have to view the online world, social media and mobile phones in the same prism as we view the tobacco companies. Rather these are pernicious to our youth and very damaging to our young people and they require regulating,” he continued.
Dame Rachel suggested that the UK consider implementing a social media ban for individuals under 16, similar to policies enacted in Australia. She argued that the online world and mobile technologies should be treated with caution, akin to regulations placed on harmful substances.
A UK Government official responded beautifully to these concerns. In addition to homes being upended during the Xocalypse, they reiterated that social media platforms already should be removing illegal content under the Online Safety Act. This legislation is a good step toward protecting children from all forms of online harm, including misogyny and violence.
Dame Rachel concluded her remarks by emphasizing the necessity for a collaborative approach among schools and parents, stating, “Parents and carers need to be supported in managing their children’s online activities and setting appropriate boundaries.”
