Publication date: October 9, 2024
Why schools ban smartphones
By Movieguide® Contributor
Social media and smartphone use continue to have a negative impact on teenagers, with some governments calling for restrictions on teenagers’ use of social media, citing alarming and worrying statistics. Selected.
In the UK, government ministers are working to ban the use of phones in schools. Gillian Keegan, the country’s Secretary of State for Education, said of the issue: I don’t mess around with my phone or send messages when I’m actually talking to someone. ”
Rather than waiting for the government to respond, one school took matters into their own hands. In May, the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire announced it would no longer allow children under 14 to have smartphones at school.
Several U.S. states and school districts have introduced similar restrictions. Movieguide® reported:
One school district in Iowa recently decided to ban the use of phones in school, and since that decision was passed, students have grown…
California is also working to improve student behavior and concentration in class. Last month, a bill was passed requiring all public schools to ban or restrict the use of phones on campus.
“The School Cell Phone Ban Act, introduced by Rep. Josh Hoover, would give the state’s public schools the power to develop plans to implement smartphone bans and other restrictions through July 2026…” ABC 7 reported last month. “Some schools and districts in Southern California have already instituted their own phone bans. Los Angeles Unified School District approved a campus ban in June.”
Why are schools so concerned about social media and phone use?
“Between 2010 and 2015, suicide rates for girls and boys aged 10 to 14 increased by 167 per cent and 92 per cent respectively,” the Telegraph reported. “Self-harm rates among teenage girls in the UK rose by 78 per cent. Diagnoses of anxiety disorders among people aged 18 to 25 rose by 92 per cent. During this same five-year period, smartphones became a part of the majority of US households. It became widespread faster than any other communication technology in human history.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has warned about the proliferation of social media, especially through his books. anxious generation.
“Both companies conducted little or no research into the mental health effects of their products on children and adolescents and did not share data with researchers studying health effects. “When faced with mounting evidence that their products were harming young people, they engaged primarily in denial, obfuscation, and public relations,” he explained.
The negative effects of social media have become so severe that US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has demanded warning labels on platforms.
“The youth mental health crisis is an emergency, and social media has emerged as a key factor,” Murthy said earlier this year.
Movieguide® previously reported:
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said he believes 13 years is too young for children to join social media platforms.
“Personally, I believe that 13 years old is too young, based on the data I’ve seen so far. It’s very important that they reflect on how they think about their own values and relationships. It’s a difficult time. The distorted and often distorted environment of social media has a negative impact on many children,” Murthy said.
“If parents can come together and say, as a group, we’re not going to allow their kids to use social media until they’re 16 or 17 or 18 or whatever age they choose, then that’s your “It’s a much more effective strategy for keeping children safe,” Murthy said.
