Should young people be banned from using smartphones?
Adults should support young people in making healthy decisions about their phone use, rather than banning phones
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Content warning: This article mentions self-harm and suicide.
On an average day last week, I picked up my smartphone 85 times and used it for 2 hours and 36 minutes. This surprised me: I had no idea I was spending that much time on my phone. Whether we like it or not, smartphones are woven into the modern world, and the convenience they bring is shaping our everyday lives.
Linking smartphones with youth mental health
Parents and educators are worried about young people’s smartphone use. Youth mental health issues are a concern, and some are blaming smartphones. In his book The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt claims that the adoption of smartphones has caused an increase in young people’s mental health issues. It is not that simple. Candice Odgers, a psychologist and expert on child and adolescent mental health, explains that while smartphone use and mental health issues have both increased over time, this does not mean one has caused the other. The link between smartphones and mental health is often weak, and the relationship goes both ways: Young people with worse mental health may more likely to turn to smartphones and social media.
“Youth mental health issues are a concern, and some are blaming smartphones.”
The detail that is often ignored in these debates is what young people are accessing and why. Most adolescents are engaging in typical adolescent behaviours on their phones, such as showing their friends affection, seeking validation, and supporting one another with homework or against bullies. Just as many work meetings have moved to Zoom, and social events are now planned in group chats rather than phone calls, adolescent socializing has moved online.
Sometimes smartphones can promote an unhealthy environment. For example, teens who use social media more frequently are more likely to have a poorer body image. Those who are particularly concerned about being thin and fit may be more likely both to access social media and to have disordered eating or a distorted body image, according to research using a range of methods. In extreme cases, adolescents have unfettered access to dark content related to self-harm and suicide, which has led to tragic deaths.
Encouraging healthy phone use by young people
Concern is mounting amidst rapid technological advancements. Algorithms personalize content on the internet, and websites and apps are requiring virtually no age verification, leaving society and science struggling to keep up. Tech companies need to take responsibility for making smartphones and apps safe, and governments need to hold them to account. The lack of regulation and increasing concern have led parents and schools to take action. Parents are campaigning to ban or restrict phones in schools. And some governments are starting to implement such measures: Australia has banned phones in all state schools and Denmark is set to do the same.
But banning smartphones entirely risks pushing smartphone use underground and driving a wedge between young people, parents, and schools. Lucy Foulkes, a psychologist and expert on adolescence, points out that adolescence is the time for risk-taking and gaining independence. Banning phones could make these devices even more desirable. If phones are prohibited, young people might not feel they can turn to trusted adults if they need help navigating their online lives.
“Banning smartphones entirely risks pushing smartphone use underground and driving a wedge between young people, parents, and schools.”
Banning smartphones also risks alienating some young people. Those identifying as LGBTQIA+ have reported the benefits of using social media to connect with peers and explore their identities, for example.
Adolescents may have good insight into their smartphone use and how to reduce it. In a small study in the UK, over 80% of 69 13- to 16-year-olds said that they had tried several strategies to reduce their phone use. Many clearly understood the issues, observing that their phone occupied too much of their time. Others reported having imposed time limits on apps. Banning smartphones will not prepare teens for healthy phone use as they get older. Instead, we need to support young people in adopting strategies for engaging with smartphones as the convenient tools that they can be.
Parents, schools, and policymakers should not simply ban smartphones. They should work directly with young people to support them in healthy smartphone use. To keep young people safe, adults must listen to and involve them in relevant decisions. Adolescents tend to have a good understanding of the benefits and dangers of smartphone use; parents and educators should work with them to provide support in navigating their digital lives. At the same time, we cannot ensure young people’s safety online without stricter regulations from tech companies.
How to work with young people to manage their smartphone use
Young people say turning off notifications and putting their phone outside their bedroom at night is an effective means of reducing their smartphone use, whereas parents taking their phone away at night was less effective.
The Barnardo’s children’s charity has issued a set of recommendations for keeping young people safe online. These are centred around communication with young people:
• Get to know the games and apps that your child is using: Showing an interest in how the child is using a smartphone will help you both understand the risks.
• Understand and use parent controls: Restrictions can help filter inappropriate content.
• Try to lead by example: Everyone should agree to abide by healthy smartphone use; this is better than imposing restrictions on some members of the family.
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