Swiped - The school that banned mobile phones

[chaosmaker]

Watched both episodes and was fairly astounded as to how clueless the presenters were about phone use in children and the sites that can be accessed. Also algorithms.

The children in the experiment were 12 with smartphones that they spent hours on and this seemed to stop them doing things they should be doing at 12 like playing and socialising in person.

I'm just interested in why people just don't give their children dumb phones if they think they need them. The studies on brain development seem to point to traits that can be present in ND so given that fact, I'm wondering if that is correlated with so much SEN and ND diagnoses in children.

It's an interesting programme and worth watching just for the science bits if nothing else. Also for how the children themselves felt during the 21 days they didn't have their phones and other devices for.

Reasonable - children should only have dumb phones and parents could make this a cultural shift en masse

Unreasonable - children need to learn social media at any cost and must have tech.

Confused by your poll. Your options don't match the ones available.

I think your categories for reasonable/unreasonable are a bit leading
It's a tough one, I'm a teacher and parent of teens/pre-teens and I can see both sides; a phone opens children up to the whole world at a very early age and I don't think social media has been entirely positive for them. However, I can also see the positive in having a phone; easy access to the helpful parts of the internet, educational games, easy contact and tracking (if you choose to use it) when children are away.
Unfortunately, a cultural shift in phone use is unlikely to happen. I did a parents evening once where a parent sat looking at a phone the whole time I was speaking, I don't think it's just young people who need to think more safely about screen time and relating to others online.

My kids went to school a town away. Their travel pass and tickets were on their smartphone (a lot cheaper... even cheaper than the sim cost).

The bus and train apps let them know if there were cancellations, if they could reroute etc. Their locker access and membeship entry at the martial arts club they attended was by smartphone.

Modern life has moved on.

Definitely it starts with the parents. One of the paediatricians in the programme said that they have 2 year olds coming in without speech and unable to make eye contact. Staring into space and the changes it makes in developing brains. I tried to make the poll black and white for ease.
I think if I could take tech away then I would. It really is a Pandora's box and getting worse with AI being pushed down our throats. I realise this is ironic given that I am posting this here and couldn't if this didn't exist :D.

I can see both sides really. I don’t think children having unrestricted access to everything, including social media, at 12 is a totally positive thing- there are absolutely risks there which need to be managed.

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.

It will be interesting to see in 20/30 years time exactly what has happened to society/brain development/behaviour due to smartphone use

And how much the phones and what's out there will have changed too

I actually think I'm quite pleased I won't be around to see it, it's not all been change for the better

Did you not feel able to say something?

It will be interesting to see how Australia manages this as they've banned social media for under 16s.

I can't believe people can't understand why children who rarely socialise and don't get any exercise or fresh air, are suffering.

Social media also has dangerous influence on children. TikTok is renowned for eating disorders, there's the trans cult, hard core porn, violence, bullying and lots of unhealthy marketing. Incel ideology and the far right indoctrinates children.

Their adult world will be unimaginable to us and our parents.

This technology and its descendants will be part of their lives and they need to be confident and skilled with it to access education, training, finance, GP services, work etc as well as entertainment and social life.

It probably opens huge doors to ND children and people with disabilities, allowing them to participate, communicate, create etc.

But we are seriously lagging behind when it comes to safeguarding and protecting children

I think it would take a sea change in thinking; a cultural shift that sees the smart phone as unsuitable for children and the simple phone the agreed way to go until they've had education on staying safe etc and reach the appropriate age. That will of course kick off a thriving black market in smartphones ...

There is the 'kosher phone' concept - the old fashioned phone that only allows them to phone and text.

It was terrifying and I'm genuinely shocked at how naive the parents were and how dependent the kids were on them. ok, phones have a use even at their age but I suspect most of them still wouldn't know how to access a bus or train timetable if they needed it!

I think that smartphones should be banned until 14, simply no need for them, and if there were a ban then companies would have to provide alternatives for kids/ old people to buy tickets etc. Even the kids in swiped basically agreed. Obviously an exception if you need one for proper medical reasons (like monitoring blood sugar), but everything else should be dumb.

I’d also ban social media until 16 and make “proper” age authentication mandatory with a criminal offence for sites which just let kids watch porn/ abuse etc.

In years to come allowing 11 year olds (and younger) to walk about with porn, bullying, extremism and violence in their pockets will be viewed as tantamount to child abuse.

I would let kids use things like you tube, game etc at home on other devices though, where it’s not constant and is much more easily scrutinised by parents.

My 15yo is at school today. I've had several notifications in the past hour that he's done various revision tasks on an app that he can only access on his phone (and iPad but that's at home). It feels like schools see the only way to appeal to the kids is by putting all these things online.

I can't believe people can't understand why children who rarely socialise and don't get any exercise or fresh air, are suffering.

But no one seemed to accept that they were suffering in lockdown...... any attempt to say that it wasn't good for them got shouted down.

I agree with the pp who said that a number of DC need access to public transport information - like lots of London children mine had a long and fiddly commute - knowing that the northern line was up the creek when they left school meant that they'd get the train fro station A to Victoria rather than station b (in the opposite direction) to London Bridge. this could well save them 30 minutes which in an evening which was time pressured with music practice and homework was a massive difference.

Personally I feel that the argument that the reason so many children are anxious is due to smart phones is over simplistic. On the higher ed board there are a number of lecturers commenting on how anxious and unresilient students are - these are of course the covid cohort who were locked down at an important point in their development. They are also some of the first to go through the new Gove curriculum where everything is linked tightly to a mark scheme and where 4 out of 9 might be a pass but it doesn't feel like a great achievement. No wonder they are anxious.

Not really no, the parent had previously been asked to leave a parent's evening due to shouting at staff, so it was confrontation I wasn't prepared to have.
(Also I love your username- big love to TP!)

Mine use thejr phones to control the medical tech they are attached to. To work they have to be on and near the user at all times ie not handed in or in a locked locker somewhere. Just saying, for those who declare they can see no reason that a young child would need a smartphone.

I've just started watching it. Was anyone else shocked and how dim Matt and Emma sounded when they realised neither of them had put age restrictions on their kids phones?? Wtf!

Also having a smartphone and having social media and not one and the same. My DDs phone doesn't even have a functioning browser nevermind social media apps!

I've not watched yet, and will but was just wondering if before I do someone could tell me if it's suitable to watch with a child?

My year 6 has got one for Xmas, so they are able to start walking home from school alone in preparation for year 7.
Although there will be a blanket no on SM for quite a few years yet, I'm sure we'll have a few teething problems with setting boundaries for use etc when we first give it - so if they can watch something to open their eyes further to the potential downfalls then I'm all for waiting and watching it with them

I don't know if I'd recommend watching it with a child @aperolspritzbasicbitch both episodes interview parents of children who did as a result of watching things on social media (black out challenge type stuff). I'd watch it yourself first and see what you think. It could be a good reason to watch it with a child to demonstrate that the dangers of such things are real, but only you know if that's suitable content for your child.

I've just got my year 6 DD one for Christmas too.

I've downloaded family link, disabled the browser, uninstalled YouTube, set up age restrictions etc.

I cannot believe the parents on this documentary seemingly just handed their kids fully functioning smartphones.

I've downloaded family link my end, but not on hers yet.

Is it as simple as setting her up a google account and then going from there?

CGM?
I assume that they would have to treat it aa a medical device, my son was diagnosed with Diabetes in year 11 he had a Dexcom fitted a week before his exams and was allowed ti have his phone in the exam room on the table in front of him.

It’s stuff like this that I find appalling

@Pottedpalm oh yes!! I don't mind kids watching screens on long journeys but if they can't go round a supermarket or a few stops on the local bus without having something to watch it's really awful. And don't get me started on watching them at the dinner table in restaurants. We're raising a generation who literally don't know what it means to be bored or have to entertain themselves and make conversation. I think it's already telling how many of younger staff at work spend all day with their earpods in.

Yes, it's not even about children, a lot of us adults spend way too many hours online. To our own detriment

It's probably better if you watch it yourself and then judge if it's suitable. They also talk about porn and how easy access to it is but describe some bits of what they are shown.