UN Banning Phones From Schools Is a Great Idea Everywhere

Really, it seems nuts that we let kids carry them at all.

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The United Nations recommends that schools worldwide ban smartphones because their effects are hugely detrimental to learning and social development.

A new report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommends removing phones from the classroom to reduce cyberbullying and avoid negative effects on children's emotional stability and academic performance. It sounds pretty wild, but several countries have already implemented this exact ban. And once we see how smartphones can affect children, it's going to seem nuts that cell phones are allowed in schools at all.

"Smartphones pose several dangers for kids, both psychological and physical. Over-reliance on smartphones can lead to screen addiction, potentially harming children's sleep patterns, physical health, and academic performance," Chuky Ofoegbu, founder of Sojourning Scholar, a website that helps foreign students, told Lifewire via email.

"Excessive screen time can lead to obesity due to sedentary behavior. In terms of mental health, exposure to harmful online content, online bullying, and negative comparison to others on social media can lead to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Additionally, kids may unwittingly share private information, making them susceptible to online predators and identity theft."

Older readers will remember that pretty much anything that distracted kids or annoyed teachers got banned from schools pretty quickly in the past, and yet smartphones are as much a part of school life as they are a part of regular life. The pandemic also accelerated the use of technology in schools, with virtual classes becoming common. It's almost as if we don't even notice smartphones anymore, so entwined they have become in everyday life.

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You'll also know how distracting and attention-grabbing a phone can be for adults. For kids, they are a distraction from the purposes of school—education, learning social and cultural interaction. Phones are a vector for bullying, misinformation, and twisting social expectations. I have a friend whose pre-teen kid lifts weights and wants to take protein supplements, thanks to Instagram.

"Banning smartphones for kids can have several benefits. Firstly, it can promote the development of social skills in real-life interactions. Without the constant distraction of smartphones, children may engage more in face-to-face conversations and activities, fostering better communication abilities and empathy," church education specialist Micheal Byrd told Lifewire via email.

"Secondly, a ban on smartphones can encourage increased physical activity. With smartphones out of the picture, kids may be more inclined to participate in physical activities, sports, and outdoor play. This can contribute to their overall health and well-being."

Media professor Gareth Barkin, dean of operations and technology at the University of Puget Sound, teaches an assignment where students must lock their phones in a drawer for two to five days and reflect on the changes.

With smartphones out of the picture, kids may be more inclined to participate in physical activities, sports, and outdoor play.

"Having developed this assignment in 2005, before 'modern' smartphones existed, and assigning it nearly every year since I have noticed dramatic changes in how integrated smartphones have become in students' lives and how difficult it's become for them to be without theirs for even a couple days," Barkin told Lifewire via email.

As smartphones have become more popular, students have become less and less willing to give up their phones. Barkin says that he sees the exercise as a way to give students space to realize how dependent they are on their phones and how different life might be without them.

"For example, students regularly report having a lot more conversations with acquaintances and strangers around campus when they don't have their phones, and many report feeling more anxious in public spaces without the phone to look at," he says.

France has already banned phones in schools, and although kids are still allowed to carry them, they are not allowed to use them. The same goes for Tasmania. The Netherlands and Finland both enacted bans this year, which will go into force next year.

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But banning phones and then letting kids carry them doesn't seem like it would have much effect. Kids will totally use them when teachers aren't looking, which means most of the time when they're not actually in class.

And parents may not be happy about the perceived safety of their children if they cannot get in touch at any time, although this was never a problem before cell phones existed. Perhaps schools could use those little locking pouches that some musicians require at their concerts to stop phone use. Then again, it would take around five minutes before some enterprising kid obtained the magnetic key and started selling unlocks.

But that's just implementation. It really does seem like kids need some space away from their phones to focus on learning and growing up. And to be honest, it's something that might benefit adults from time to time, too.

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