I don't think mobile phones should be banned in schools - and it might do young people more harm than good

I got my very first mobile phone when I was 13 years old.

Admittedly, it was a flip phone. There was no real access to apps or music (besides a few games or ringtones I had bought for a few bucks each), and using the internet meant that I risked running through my limited top-up - on a tiny screen you could barely see anything on anyway.

Teachers were very strict about not using phones in class. But even with all of its limitations, the second I was through the door I was phone-in-hand, texting friends or playing games. At least twice while writing this piece I’ve picked up my now semi-modern iPhone 14 and unlocked it, sometimes opening social media or checking my personal emails. Then I catch myself, and switch off my screen again.

To this day, I struggle with self-regulation when it comes to those addictive little apps. Most of the other adults I see around me do too.

In some ways a new member’s bill recently slated for introduction to the House of Commons, which wants to enshrine a ban on mobile phones at schools into law, makes perfect sense. Many schools do already have either government-advised bans or guidelines for use in place, according to the BBC, but the bill’s backers remain concerned about the devices and their impacts - which include pupils being distracted from learning, the potential for cyberbullying and its cumulative mental health impact, and young people being sucked into ‘doom scrolling’ spirals by addictively-designed apps, struggling to put their phones down and engage with their schoolwork.

But I don’t think a total ban is in order, and in some respects it might do more harm than good. On one hand, technology is already a huge and ever-present part of most of our lives. We use it constantly for fun, as well as to help us out at with everything from work and research, to personal development and social connection.

Completely banning phones from schools means that children are missing out on the opportunity for practical, hands-on learning in a controlled environment. Our phones can connect us with important resources and useful tools, but people need the digital literacy to learn how to use them effectively.

This will help make sure they’re getting accurate information from reliable sources, for one thing. But in the current online landscape, young people also need to learn about protecting themselves, their data, and their privacy, and using their phones safely, sensibly, and kindly.

This is especially relevant when it comes to social media, which - despite all of its potential pitfalls - is now an important part of our social lives. Kids often say they feel excluded when they don’t have access to social media, and when so many of your peer group’s interactions are happening somewhere you can’t see, not getting the latest meme-derived in-joke can have a particularly bitter sting.

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I mentioned earlier struggling to self-regulate. This ability is a skill, and just like any other I truly believe you can only learn it through practice. When it comes to phones, that means having the ability to access them, and having the guidance to build these good habits yourself - learning to indulge in a moderate and proportioned way.

Otherwise, you’re liable to just go hog wild the moment the restraints are lifted. As as soon as you’ve finished school, what’s to stop you from spending hours endlessly scrolling on the couch? Or from habitually reaching for your phone at work, or in, say, a cinema?

You’ll only have your strength of will to fall back on, and it’s only fair we support young people, giving them the chance to develop their own.

Do you think phones should be banned in schools, and why (or why not)? Have your say and make your voice hear by leaving a comment below.