Smart phone bans in schools – do they work?

As more schools bite the bullet and ban phones, a new study has unearthed some interesting findings regarding whether such bans have much of an impact on students.

New research from the University of Birmingham found mobile phone bans in schools weren’t linked to improved pupil wellbeing or higher grades overall.

The study evaluated the impact of school phone policies by comparing outcomes in teens who attended English secondary schools – 20 schools didn’t allow recreational phone use and 10 did.

The main focus was on mental wellbeing, but also how long kids spent on their smartphones and social media.

What did the study find?

In total, 1,227 young people were studied across 30 schools.

The study found schools which banned phones didn’t seem to experience improvements in health, wellbeing and focus in lessons, the BBC reported.

There was a link between more time spent on phones and social media, and worse mental wellbeing and mental health, as well as poor sleep, disruptive behaviour and lack of exercise.

But these outcomes didn’t appear to differ between schools that did and didn’t allow phones.

The authors concluded: “There is no........

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