Swiped - The school that banned mobile phones

Yes they do, we're lucky that we don't have much of a phone problem with students during school hours. They have to be switched off or on silent and students can't get them out or they are confiscated. Teachers are pretty good with professional judgement (I.e. We let them check its on silent or they can use reception to call home etc) so we don't confiscate many at all. Our issues come outside of school- students coming in after a bullying Snapchat incident which then has to be dealt with by us.
I'm sure the teachers will have spotted your DH was on notes, nothing wrong with that (this is what I meant in my post about the good side of a phone). My parent was just messaging and on FB unfortunately.

DD’s school were no phones in school (at all) since before 2016. Technically not even allowed them in bags but as they don’t do bag searches as long as it’s in there and doesn’t draw attention to itself with phone noises then all is ok.

surely just banning them at school will have minimal effect? How will anyone enforce kids not having a phone at all?

A child doesn't need a phone to know there's not enough food on the house or that the house is cold.

They don't need a phone to realise their parents are always working and stressed.

They don't need a phone to know they're going between two houses/families or that one parent (almost always the dad) doesn't want to know.

They don't need a phone to feel shite or overwhelmed in a school that is so stretched for time and resources it crams a packed curriculum in and anyone who struggles gets left behind or chastised.

They don't just not play out as much now because of screens, it's also stuff like less places to go, busier roads, more awareness of dangers (from parents usually) and many adults kicking up a fuss if kids are out even in daylight ours etc.

I agree excessive screens and especially social media definitely have a negative impact, but I also agree with the previous poster, there is way more to our societies issues than "screens".

DC's school banned smart phones this academic year. Not allowed them in sight when on site; they are no longer asked to use them in class- seems to be working. If confiscated they can be collected at the end of the school day.

Our 2 have smart phones but massively locked down so that they have no browser, no photos, no social media. I switch the browser on as needed for maths homework which is online and they can use maps and I can track them while out (hence not having an actual dumb phone). But smartphones can be locked down to make them pretty much like dumb phones.

Wow it’s almost as if all children are different.
Mine is also well behaved but has noticed, like many people do, that having a phone affects his concentration. Many adults find this as well. He’s looking to take steps to rectify this.

If you honestly believe that phones don’t affect anyone’s attention at all, then I think you’re totally deluded. Your child may not be (they may be though, how would you know since they had their phones since they were so tiny?) - my older child is less affected, again, as if all children react differently.

on smartphones don’t most schools ban them? My DCs school does and has done for years (state comp) although all their homework is on an app and they do occasionally get asked to use them in class.

How can they ban them, and then also sometimes ask them to use one in class? What a ridiculous policy for the school to have (allowing teachers to ask students to use smart phones in lessons I mean, I think banning them in school is a sensible policy, medical needs aside).

As parents we teach our kids how to cope when tech fails. And to be honest, as I am a non driver, mine seem to cope just fine, through lived experience on journeys, which spills over to the ability to problem solve in other areas. (Perhaps we should go car free - not just phone free- to teach independence, problem solving and provide opportunity for daily exercise, but that would be for another thread)

But what generally happens is that stuff gets more expensive, or more time consuming. It costs 50p more per bus journey if the kids don't use the app but pay on the bus each time.
Their monthly ticket is online, so theyd be buying a (capped) £2 ticket for a tech free single journey home on top of the ticket they already have. They have the cash in the bottom of their school bag for that eventuality.
I'm not spending more than I have to.

I have two children who have had phones since year 4. They are now 10 and 13.

Neither of my children get distracted in class. They both focus very well. They are both very well behaved. In fact because my youngest is very good in school he's often seated.next to more distractible children (some of whom don't own phones).

I really don't think phones have anything to do with focus and concentration.

There are bound to be some children who struggle with concentration that happen to have a phone. There will also be lots of children who have phones who have no problems with concentration

Both my sons have a phone and they are 12 and 14. My youngest son got one last year when he started getting public transport and in some ways it’s great. He’s very sociable and he’ll play online games while a group of them are all on a call together. He doesn’t have social media anyway as he isn’t interested (we wouldn’t allow it anyway)
But he has spoken to me recently about how he has found over this last year that he has difficulties focusing in class, gets distracted unless he’s doing something he really likes. I do think that because he does watch YouTube videos, it has shortened his attention span.

I’m thrilled he’s talked to me about it and we have come up together with some strategies to help; regular longer music practice, longer reading with me and by himself, screen time limits which he came up with and I have set up for him, he’s taken YouTube off his phone completely to avoid temptation. I’m so proud of him for noticing the difference that having the phone has made. I guess the problem is that if you start with a phone very young, you just assume that you are how you are because you have no frame of reference, whereas he can remember how he was in class pre phone.

I also think phones get the blame of MH issues when really tons of other stuff feed in to that.... all the 'Identity' dilemmas and boys in girls spaces. And the be kind message.

And where are children and young people getting those messages from?

Do your children have to have all those things on their phones?
My children have a physical bus pass and bank card.

Are you answering the wrong person? That's just a weird response, the poster was demonstrating how sensible her DC was being?

There is a middle ground between dumb phone and unlimited social media. So I'm not voting.

But I think the horse has bolted with regards to phones. But I also think phones get the blame of MH issues when really tons of other stuff feed in to that including lack of hope for jobs, too much testing and pressure in schools, and then all the 'Identity' dilemmas and boys in girls spaces. And the be kind message.

Sorry just to chime in here - I'm against really young kids having screens too, but screens do not cause autism or ADHD or sensory processing disorder etc.

They may exasperate symptoms in some cases, they may (in extreme cases) cause symptoms/behaviour that can be mistaken/appear similar to it, due to how they effect the brain etc, but they do not actually cause/make a child ND.

My son is 5 and awaiting assessment for autism. He's never used a tablet and never had my phone propped in a buggy or watched YouTube in a restaurant or whatever. He's still very likely ND.

The stat that shocked me was 20% of FOUR year olds having their own phone! That is terrifying. It was interesting how the children admitted that they felt better without their phones at the end of the three weeks, and had less anxiety etc.

We need widespread scientific studies into the issue before a whole generation is severely damaged. Fifty years ago our parents would smoke while we were sitting on their knees, and thought nothing of it. I think in 50 years we’ll look back in horror at what we’ve exposed our children to via smartphones.

oh come on, EVERYONE understood that lockdown wasn't ideal for kids - that's why so many efforts were focussed around trying to get them back to school before lifting any other restrictions. Schools re-opening was one of the highest priorities at each point of lockdown - kids were going back to school while adults were still on furlough/being told to wfh, before people living alone were even allowed to bubble i.e. meet up with anyone.

Surely three years is a bit fast to completely re-write history?

Of course we can go back. And at least some of those cards you listed don't have to be on a phone, you can get an actual card.

The link is between smart phone use and ADHD, nothing to do with ASD.

Your post demonstrates a terrifying naivety about the damage smart phones do to young minds.

But equally I think the world has moved well past the days whereby it would be in any way better to just say “no smartphones for kids” full stop. So much of life, work, education, socialisation is online now and not allowing kids to access & learn that until they’re 18 would arguably do more harm than good.

"The world" is just people though. If people want thing to change they change. It's up to us what we do about this.

You don't need to go that far, or even any distance into the future, schools are clear indicators of this already with massive numbers kids who have various degrees of ND that you never used to have.

The massive crisis in teen mental health has come from somewhere and it can't just be covid / austerity.

I volunteer in DDs primary and there's now a whole cohort of around 20 kids who simply don't go into assembly as they can't sit still / listen etc so have free (supervised) reign outdoors instead.

ADHD and autism diagnoses are off the charts compared to 10 years ago and yes I know that a lot of that is down to education and awareness but in my whole primary school there were perhaps 2/3 kids who loooking back would have met the level of behaviour that now 5-10 kids in each class do

I think smart phones are fine if parents monitor responsibly. Both my 10 and 13 yr olds have them and have had them since yr 4 (I can feel the judgement seeping through the screen!....). They r very responsible children. Very well behaved and sensible. We discuss the internet and their usage of the phones and internet safety etc.. almost daily and they are learning so much.

I think by the time my children have completely free access to all the apps etc.. at age 16, they'll b very skilled and able to navigate their way around their phones sensibly and safely and I won't have to worry. I think a gradual introduction to phones from a young age, with close monitoring and supervision at the start is helpful preparation for increased freedom.on the phone as they get older.

I understand people's reservations and respect people choosing not to give their children a phone. However in our case I think they've been brilliant!

I will have to read a bit more research but in my very small sample of local village friends and acquaintances, the three children we know with autism diagnoses are from families where screens are strictly forbidden and the children have not been given a phone (years 8, 7 and 6), so links between increased smart phone use and autism don't ring true for us (in fact I'm our v small.sample, the opposite is true).

My children are very social and my youngest is out playing with his friends every weekend, using his smart phone responsibly to.co-ordinate meet ups with his friends and keep me updated of his whereabouts and time he's due home etc..

I really don't have an issue with my children using their phones. I understand why some people choose not to give children a phone, but I don't think those that do should be negatively judged.

My year 7 has a dumb phone and I made a thread on it a few weeks ago after finding out how unusual that was and most people thought I was insane 😆

Also here for the TP love but on smartphones don’t most schools ban them? My DCs school does and has done for years (state comp) although all their homework is on an app and they do occasionally get asked to use them in class.

Reason for quoting is because we went to parents night recently and about 3 teachers in I realised it looked like DH was on his phone the whole time - he was but he was taking notes.