Common Pushbacks
We hear time and again that pushback from parents is one of the hardest challenges facing headteachers who want to remove smartphones from the school day. But many of the arguments against smartphone free schools don't stand up to scrutiny. Here are some answers to the most common complaints:
01My child needs a smartphone to be safe on the journey to and from school.
Replacing your child’s smartphone with a "brick" (call and text only) phone - or no phone at all - will make their journey to school safer. The number of children who get mugged every day (500 in the UK) has increased significantly over the past 10 years - since children owning a smartphone became commonplace - and the powerful distraction of a smartphone makes children more likely to step out into moving traffic. 20% of secondary school pupils who use their phone while walking have either been hit, or involved in a near miss, with a vehicle. A brick phone allows them to keep in touch in case of emergencies and delays.
02I want to track my child.
Tracking devices (such as airtags in urban areas or GPS in rural locations) can track your child if required. However, we would urge parents to consider whether tracking is necessary. A brick phone is more than adequate for emergencies and tracking your children teaches them that the world isn’t safe unless they are constantly monitored. This is arguably not the message we want to be sending our children as it risks making them anxious.
03I need to be able to contact my child during the school day.
This is still possible through the school office.
04My child needs to be able to contact me during the school day.
In the case of an emergency children can phone home from the school office. Constant contact with home hinders the development of independence, confidence and problem-solving skills - an essential part of childhood development. Autonomy is healthy! Children need to be able to find solutions to problems themselves without constant contact with a parent.
05We need to teach children responsible use of technology to equip them for the digital world
We are not anti-technology. We support parents to give their children a smartphone when they are 16 and their brains are better able to handle the challenges of profit-driven algorithms and the risk of dangerous content. Smartphones do not give children any digital literacy. The skills required to use a smartphone are extremely basic - it takes minutes to learn how to navigate TikTok. The challenge is protecting children from addiction, exposure to extreme content and the enormous opportunity cost while their brains are still developing.
06This policy is encroaching on my child’s human rights.
A child’s rights must be treated with the utmost respect. Smartphones and social media allow children to be exploited, sent or shown harmful content and filmed or photographed without their consent. A child has a right to be protected from harm, and as adults it is our job to ensure that this happens. Allowing children unsupervised access to the internet, which lays them open to inappropriate content, exploitation and grooming, does not respect their rights.
07This is unfair - my child’s smartphone is safe and they never use if through the school day.
The safeguarding risk facing every child does not just come from their own device, but what other children can access on their devices, including harmful material and photography. All it takes if for a child to put their screen in front of your child and they’ve seen something they cannot un-see or been photographed against their wishes. Your child’s device may be safe, but what about the other smartphones in the room?
A recent Parentkind survey shows that 47% of kids with parental controls on their smartphones are bypassing them. 71% of children with parental controls in place have still experienced harm online. Even if parental controls were watertight it is impossible to guarantee every smartphone is adequately locked down. Every child is only as safe as the least safe phone.
08My child has diabetes and needs a phone to monitor their blood sugar levels.
Where a phone is being used as a medical device it will of course be permitted. Specialist pouches with velcro openings (as opposed to the usual magnetic locks) are available for children with medical needs.
09My child has special educational needs and needs a phone.
Educational psychologists tell us that children with SEND are more vulnerable to online harms and often less able to resist addictive-by-design technology. Invariably they benefit from a smartphone-free environment even more. Where assistive technology is used (eg for dyslexia) this should be delivered on a school-approved device that does not have mobile internet access or other apps.