School phone bans do not improve young people’s grades or mental wellbeing, a study has found.
The research, by academics at the University of Birmingham, found no difference between students’ academic achievement, sleep or exercise habits between schools with and without restrictive phone policies.
The bans also did not cut down the overall time that young people spent using their phones throughout the day, it showed.
The study compared 1227 students and 30 different schools. It has since been peer-reviewed and published.
“There is no evidence to support that restrictive school phone policies, in their current forms, have a beneficial effect on adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing or related outcomes,” it concluded.
However, increased screen time did impact the mental health, classroom behaviour, physical activity and sleep cycles of students overall.
Dr Victoria Goodyear, the study’s lead author, told the BBC that school phone bans were not an effective way to tackle the negative impacts of overusing phones.
“What we’re suggesting is that those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impacts,” she said.
“We need to do more than just ban phones in schools.”
The study called for a more “holistic” approach to lowering phone use among students.
“This approach does not necessarily preclude restrictive school mobile phone policies,” the study concluded.
The evidence is clear: the shift to a screen-based childhood is having disastrous effects.
— Neil O'Brien (@NeilDotObrien) January 28, 2025
We've tabled an amendment to ban phones from schools: I really hope this will get cross party support. pic.twitter.com/GtMKHPy5Iu
“But these policies would be linked with a wider holistic approach to adolescent mobile phone and social media use.”
It comes days after the Education Secretary rejected calls to bring in a new law to ban phones in classrooms, as she branded the Conservative party’s proposal a “headline-grabbing gimmick”.
Bridget Phillipson said she agreed that mobile phones should not be in lessons, but added the opposition was wrong to say it could only be done by introducing legislation.
The Conservative party said last week that it would table an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would require the Government to ban phones in classrooms.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott asked Ms Phillipson whether she would support her party’s plans.
A government spokesperson said: “Teachers already have clear guidance to manage phone use effectively in a way that works for their schools.
“Our focus is on keeping young people safe, while also benefiting from the latest technology. By the summer, robust new protections for children will be in force through the Online Safety Act to protect them from harmful content and ensure they have an age-appropriate experience online.
“Alongside getting these laws in place, we are committed to building the evidence base to inform future action to protect young people online.
“More robust evidence is needed to reach clear conclusions on the impact of smartphones on children, which is why we have launched our own research, led by the University of Cambridge, into the impact of social media on children’s overall wellbeing.”
