Children in Cambridgeshire could face smartphone ban
A charity's calling on politicians to act
Last updated 21st Mar 2024
Under-16s in Cambridgeshire could end up being banned from smartphones.
A poll of 2,496 parents of school-aged children in England, commissioned by charity Parentkind, found 58% of parents believe the Government should introduce the ban on this age group.
And a survey showed more than four in five parents said they felt smartphones were "harmful" to children and young people.
An online survey, conducted by WeThink between February 19 and March 4, found only 16% of parents of secondary school children support a smartphone ban for under-16s.
Nearly nine in 10 parents said they were concerned their children could face online bullying and abuse through using a smartphone, while 87% were worried they might access harmful content online.
It comes as Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, is campaigning for an age limit for smartphone usage and stricter controls on access to social media apps.
"You've got to move with the times"
We've been getting the thoughts of people in Cambridge on whether the ban's a good idea:
"I think they're distracting in schools," one woman told us.
"You've got to move with the times; when I was at school, no mobile phones but there are mobile phones everywhere now," one man said.
Another passer-by said mobile phones are "part of life and it's about educating children how to use them responsibly rather than restricting their use", while one person said he doesn't think "they should be banned but they should have some sort of parental control".
Politicians told to act ahead of election
Charity Parentkind is calling on all political parties to put a ban on smartphones for children in their manifestos ahead of the general election.
Last week, schools minister Damian Hinds told MPs on the education select committee that getting a mobile phone between primary and secondary school had become a "rite of passage" for nearly all children.
In February, schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance intended to stop the use of mobile phones during school hours.
A Government spokesperson said: "The educational and social benefits of technology are immense, but this should not come at the expense of children's safety.
"That is why we issued guidance on banning smartphones in schools last month to support teachers and keep schools as a place of learning.
"The majority of social media sites say they do not allow under-13s; once implemented the Online Safety Act will require platforms to enforce their age limits and protect children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content."