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    • Schools ditch smartphones to combat online harm
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    Schools ditch smartphones to combat online harm

    Umito Posted on

    Like the United Kingdom Online Safety Act (OSA) approaches its first anniversary, parents and teachers insist more must be done to protect young people and children from the various risks they face online.

    They cite in particular the need for stricter measures regarding the use of smartphones and social networks in schools, which led two parents to create the Childhood without a smartphone (SFC) in February 2024.

    Since then, the group – which describes itself as “a grassroots movement with a mission to challenge the colonization of childhood by Big Tech” – has grown significantly, with 150,000 parent members across the UK at the moment. of publication.

    Their concerns cover a wide range of areas, including increasing rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among children since the introduction of smartphones, the pervasive effects of cyberbullying, the risk of children being exposed to harmful content via algorithms and messaging apps, and “intentionally” the addictive design choices of tech companies that are intended to harvest ever-increasing amounts of data for profit.

    While the UK is one of the first countries to attempt to regulate global social media platforms such as Meta, , the online harm regulator, for failing to tackle illegal content, including the possibility of £1 million fines and criminal sanctions against high-ranking employees of social media platforms – parents and Teachers say there is growing evidence that, despite all good intentions, the online world continues to have a range of harmful effects on young people.

    An international study of 44 countries released last month, for example, found a growing rate of problematic Internet use among childrenrevealing the urgent need for safer platforms for young people. In the United States, legal action against the biggest social media platforms is coming to light because of their inaction on harmful content and their inability to protect children. In 2023, 42 attorneys general continued Meta, alleging addictive features targeting children.

    Although the Online Safety Act is an important first step, it will only partially address the harm currently inflicted on children through smartphones and social media.

    Clare Fernyhough, Childhood without a smartphone

    “While the Online Safety Act is an important first step, it will only partially address the harm currently inflicted on children through smartphones and social media,” said Clare Fernyhough, co-founder of SFC. “It’s unclear whether the law will address the ‘addictive by design’ nature of smartphones and social media platforms, meaning tech companies will continue to make billions by keeping our children constantly online . With children spending up to nine hours a day on their phones, the opportunity cost of these devices is enormous.

    Given ongoing concerns about the spread of harm online, and the role of smartphones in particular, the creation of the SFC has prompted many schools to attempt to move away from smartphones.

    In May 2024, for example, 20 primary schools in Saint Albans announced plans to ditch smartphones, and in September Ormiston academies announced the decision to go smartphone-free across all of their schools. 44 public schools.

    Schools are getting rid of smartphones

    “For years we had a “phone off and in your bag” policy. It was completely ineffective,” says Damien McBeath, principal of the John Wallis Academy, which launched its own no-smartphone policy in January, shortly before the SFC was created. “Since Covid, we have seen a real decline in socially acceptable behavior – numerous TikTok trends, students herded into bathrooms, incidents of online predators – sapping students’ attention spans.”

    In his 25 years as a school principal, McBeath adds that smartphones have been “a tidal wave of problems and disruptions.”

    In October 2024, SFC also launched a formal initiative Schools without smartphones campaign, which has already inspired a number of other schools to try the policy. SFC says McBeath’s concerns are echoed by other teachers, who have contacted the group for advice and support.

    “We have been inundated with stories of teachers struggling with the effects of smartphones, from distraction during lessons to cyberbullying and sharing inappropriate content. This is an urgent situation that requires immediate government support,” says Fernyhough.

    Will Orr-Ewing, head of school engagement for the Smartphone Free Schools campaign, adds: “The average child receives hundreds of notifications on their phone throughout the school day – a constant call for their attention, which causes him to check his phone at all times. out of a teacher’s line of sight, especially in the restroom and during recess.

    The average child receives hundreds of notifications on their phone throughout the school day – a constant call for their attention.

    Will Orr-Ewing, campaign for smartphone-free schools

    “That’s why we recommend that schools find ways to keep the phone away from the child’s person for the full seven hours of the school day – either by using pouches or lockers, or by prohibiting children from bringing a smartphone, and recommending brick phones for traveling instead.

    Since adopting the no-smartphone policy, John Wallis Academy says it has seen huge benefits for both students and staff, including a 40% reduction in detentions, an 80% reduction in the rate of school absenteeism and a reduction in staff turnover from 30% to 17%.

    Activists and teachers say broader government support could lead to nationwide change. Currently, just 11% of UK schools have effective restrictions on smartphones in place. In a open letter At the Department for Education in October, school principals, governing bodies and local councils urged the government to commit funds to support schools that want to move away from smartphones.

    Is a new online safety law necessary?

    As well as parents and teachers, the proposed implementation of the UK’s Online Safety Act has also sparked discontent from civil society groups, who argued during the ongoing consultation on the Act , that it was necessary to adopt stricter laws regarding online security.

    Digital Security Charity 5Rightsfor example, states: “Ofcom’s proposals, as currently drafted, are weak and incomplete, and do not meet the needs of children and the expectations of parliamentarians, civil society, parents and teachers . »

    Digital Secretary Peter Kyle also told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that he would “plug the loopholes” in the Conservative government-led Online Safety Act, adding that the technology sector is “the only sector …who can release products into society without proving they are safe before their release.”

    Support for stricter legislation also resonates with public opinion. A recent poll from the Molly Rose Foundation, for example, found overwhelming public and parental support for a new online safety law, with 84% of parents and 80% of adults support a new law to strengthen online security measures.

    Labor MP Josh MacAlister also recently launched a Private Members’ Billwhich could potentially lead to providing statutory guidance on the use of smartphones in schools and increasing the Internet adult age from 13 to 16. The MP – and former teacher – expressed the importance of this policy for disadvantaged children especially.

    The bill also aims to strengthen the powers of regulator Ofcom so that it can enforce a code of conduct to tackle addictive by design nature of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

    Concerns about addictive design patterns have been echoed in a common agreement on online security from the UK and US governments, stating: “Both countries recognize that risk-based approaches and security, privacy and inclusiveness by design throughout , development and deployment are fundamental to the safety and well-being of children online, as well as increased transparency and accountability of online platforms.

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