A landmark study from the University of Birmingham has found that banning smartphones in schools does not improve students’ academic performance or mental wellbeing. The research, published in The Lancet’s Regional Health Europe journal, challenges the widespread belief that restricting phone use in schools leads to better educational outcomes and healthier lifestyles for adolescents.
No Significant Differences Between Schools
The study compared 1,227 students from 30 secondary schools in England, 20 of which had policies restricting phone use during school hours. It found no meaningful differences in students’ academic performance, mental health, or physical wellbeing between schools with and without phone bans. Despite these restrictions, students continued to spend similar amounts of time on their phones outside of school, indicating that in-school bans fail to meaningfully reduce overall smartphone usage.
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Impact of Screen Time
Although school phone bans had no measurable effect, the study did confirm that excessive screen time negatively impacts students. Researchers found that spending more time on smartphones and social media was linked to lower grades, poor sleep, disruptive classroom behavior, and reduced physical activity. Lead author Dr. Victoria Goodyear stressed the importance of addressing these concerns but argued that banning phones in schools alone is not enough. “What we’re suggesting is that those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impact,” she told the BBC. “We need to do more than just ban phones in schools.”
Calls for a Holistic Approach
Rather than relying solely on restrictive policies, the researchers recommended a broader, more holistic approach to managing adolescent phone use. This could involve educating students on responsible smartphone habits, promoting digital wellbeing initiatives, and encouraging parents to set limits on screen time at home. The study suggested that reducing social media and phone use across a full day and week, not just during school hours, is key to improving adolescent health.
Debate Over School Phone Policies
The findings come amid an ongoing political debate over phone bans in schools. The UK Conservative government issued guidance in early 2024 on restricting phone use in classrooms, including recommendations for searching students’ bags for devices if necessary. The party has since pushed for a legal ban on phones in schools, arguing that social media use is harming students’ mental health.
However, UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has rejected the proposal, calling it a “headline-grabbing gimmick.” While she supports keeping phones out of the classroom, she insists that legislation is not necessary since many schools already enforce their own rules.
A Broader Issue Beyond Schools
The study’s findings have also raised concerns about the broader societal impact of smartphone addiction among young people. Joe Ryrie, director of the campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood, described the results as “somewhat surprising” but agreed that phone use remains a critical issue.
“The really stark statistic in this report is that the average daily time students spend on their smartphone was four to six hours,” he said. “That’s a terrifying amount of time for children to spend scrolling and swiping.” Ryrie urged parents to delay giving smartphones to their children and called for stricter regulations to make social media platforms safer and less addictive for kids.
International Efforts to Limit Phone Use
The UK is not the only country considering tighter phone restrictions. In Ireland, the government recently allocated €9 million to introduce lockable phone pouches in post-primary schools as part of a nationwide effort to reduce smartphone use during the school day. The initiative, announced in Budget 2025, aims to improve student wellbeing by minimizing digital distractions.
The Need for Further Research
Despite its significant findings, the University of Birmingham study does not dismiss the idea of school phone bans altogether. Senior researcher Professor Miranda Pallan acknowledged that restrictive policies may still provide other benefits not assessed in the study. However, she emphasized that addressing overall smartphone use—both in and out of school—is the real challenge.
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“Our study suggests that school policies are not the silver bullet for preventing the detrimental impacts of smartphone and social media use,” she said. “Reducing time spent on phones is an important focus, but we need to consider phone use across the whole day and the whole week.”