Banning smartphones for children is worth considering

The next government should consider proposals to ban smartphones for under-16s in its first year, a committee of MPs has said.

The Education Select Committee report highlighted some of the “serious dangers” posed by children online.

Government guidelines to ban phone use in schools in England earlier this year sparked a debate over how much screen time children should be getting.

But children’s charity NSPCC said that until now the voices of young people themselves had been “conspicuously absent”.

The report, published on Saturday, says the risks of increased screen time for children and young people far outweigh its benefits.

Commission chairman Robin Walker said its investigation had gathered “shocking statistics about the extent of the harm caused to under-18s”.

The report reveals that screen time has increased significantly in recent years, with one in four children now using their phones in a way that resembles a behavioral addiction.

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The report states that almost all children own a phone by the age of 12, and 79% of them have been exposed to violent pornography before the age of 18.

He said the Online Safety Act, which gives social media companies responsibility for protecting children from certain legal – but harmful – content, would provide some protection, but not until the law is fully implemented. in 2026.

The committee says that without urgent action, more children could be put at risk.

He recommended the next government work with the regulator, Ofcom, to consult on additional measures, including the possibility of a complete ban on smartphones for under-16s or the installation of parental controls by default.

It also says new ministers should try to encourage mobile phone companies to produce phones specially designed for children, which can be used to maintain contact through calls, texts and GPS tracking, but who cannot access the Internet.

Richard Collard, deputy head of child online safety policy at children’s charity NSPCC, said a “total ban” on smartphones and social media for under-16s would be an “instrumental brutal”.

“Young people are telling us how access to technology can improve their lives, but they are tired of having to protect themselves,” he added.

“I don’t know what I would have done without it.”

In Salford, Jasper, 15, who most often uses apps such as WhatsApp and Pinterest, told the BBC there were pros and cons to living online as a teenager.

“Yes, I find it difficult because drama (arguments, confrontations) starts easier, but having social media and having a phone, if used correctly, can be helpful in finding other people to connect with “, did he declare.

“Without that, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Harry, 16, said he thought it would make more sense to apply a ban to a younger age group, but admitted teenagers spend “far too much” time on their phones.

In Glossop, Derbyshire, parents’ views on a possible ban were mixed.

Courtney Clarke, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said she hated that she had a smartphone, but loved being able to contact her when she was walking to or from school with friends.

“If I take away my daughter’s phone, I’m taking away her social life, and that’s not right either,” she said, adding that her daughter doesn’t have the same access to clubs. young than when she was young. .

She said she would fear being bullied if she was forced to use a “brick” phone instead.

But Joanne Whaley said she’s already had bad experiences with her 12-year-old son’s smartphone.

“If I could change it, I would never have left one for him,” she said.

“I would have left him the old Nokias we had so he could tell me where it is, but the availability of internet has been a disaster.”

Mum Clare Fernyhough, who helped found Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots organization of thousands of parents from across the country, said she welcomed the committee’s latest recommendations.

“While we wait for the Online Safety Act to be implemented, an entire generation of children is being robbed of the childhood they deserve by a handful of Silicon Valley companies who have repeatedly shown that they put profits before the safety of children,” she says.

“One of the most important roles in society is to protect children from harm, and any government that commits to prioritizing this issue will get our vote.”

In February, the government published new guidance for schools aimed at restricting phone use, in a bid to “reset the social norm” of keeping phones out of the classroom.

At the time, Labor said it was “open-minded” about banning under-16s from social media after its leader, Keir Starmer, met Esther Ghey during his visit to Parliament to campaign after the death of his daughter, Brianna.

Commenting on the committee’s report, Lib Dem education spokeswoman Munira Wilson called for the creation of an independent Children’s Online Safety Advocate “to protect the interests of our children”.

She said it was “clear that the government and social media companies need to do more” to protect children online.

BBC News has contacted the Conservative and Labor parties for comment on the committee’s latest recommendations, but has not yet received a response.

The Green Party declined to comment.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the committee’s report raised “very valid concerns” about the dangers of excessive screen time.

But he said those concerns risked being undermined by the threat of legally banning phones from schools.

“Rather than providing flexibility, a legal ban would seemingly leave schools with only one option: confiscate all phones at the start of the day and return them at the end,” he said.

“While this may work for some schools, others simply will not have the time and resources to manage such a process.”

Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the National Association of Head Teachers, said schools were best placed to develop their own mobile phone policies, adding that it was “essential” that children were able to develop “positive relationships with technology”.

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