A new report from University College London (UCL) says blanket smartphone bans in schools are “overly simplistic” and are not supported by young people, who tend to view them as punitive rather than helpful. The findings come as a statutory ban on pupils carrying smartphones in schools in England takes effect, with individual schools and trusts required to keep phones out of classrooms throughout the school day.
According to the UCL report, banning phones without addressing underlying drivers of problems linked to devices may be ineffective. The report highlights concerns that such policies can undermine students’ trust and fail to tackle wider online risks and pressures, including harmful content, cyberbullying and the addictive design of some platforms.
The coverage also notes that the policy shift is accompanied by a range of responses from education stakeholders, with some parents and teachers welcoming the ban, while the UCL study focuses on the perspective of young people affected by restrictions. Overall, the report argues that schools may need more targeted approaches rather than outright prohibitions.
