Solihull School

As both an educator and a father of two daughters (aged nine and eleven), I have watched with growing concern as negative press surrounding smartphones and their impact on young people reaches a boiling point. At Solihull School, with a community of over 1,500 pupils, including more than 450 at our Prep School, we are no exception when it comes to reflecting on whether a reset is needed in our approach to screen usage among young people.

As a parent, I took the plunge last year, handing over one of our old smartphones to my own Year 6 child, convincing myself it was part of growing up and that it would help us keep track of her whereabouts. My heightened awareness of internet safety left me feeling well-equipped to manage her usage compared to most. However, a few months later, I found myself shifting into reverse gear—significantly restricting her phone access and tightening parental controls around her use of apps and digital habits across all devices. Whether this will last remains to be seen, but I am compelled to try and hold off and am equipped with a renewed sense of determination the more I read around the topic.

I am just one of a plethora of parents calling for greater action to protect children from social media, internet addiction, and other perceived dangers of digital devices. The recent Netflix drama Adolescence has brought the harmful impact of social media into sharper focus, highlighting its potential for devastating consequences. In our local area, over 50 schools, including Solihull, have united to challenge the growing normalisation of smartphone ownership among young children. We are collaborating with Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots movement spreading across the UK, aimed at removing the pressure on children to own smartphones and on parents to provide them.

For educators considering similar initiatives, the following mnemonic may help:

• Prevents Real Play – Smartphone use hinders social and imaginative play.
• Attention Span – Smartphones reduce focus and hinder learning.
• Undermines Mental Health – Overexposure to screens negatively impacts emotional well-being.
• Safety Risks – Cyberbullying and inappropriate content are safeguarding concerns.
• Emotional Impact – Smartphones contribute to mood swings, sleep disruption, and digital dependency.

 I recently hosted a parent seminar on the topic, with over 100 parents signing up to attend. During my talk, I shared insights from Smartphone Free Childhood’s parent presentation, inspired by Jonathan Haidt’s ‘The Anxious Generation’ (2024). The statistics are deeply concerning:

• 25% of UK children aged 5–7 own smartphones
• emergency mental healthcare referrals for children have increased by 53% in three years
• 46% of teens report using their phones “almost constantly”

The Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact has now gathered over 100,000 signatures nationally, with parents committing to keeping younger children without smartphones. Their proposed solution is ambitious but potentially game-changing—recommending that children use only a basic phone until Year 9 and delay social media use until age 16.

Much political debate surrounds whether banning phones in schools is effective. A recent Lancet study (January 2025) found no significant difference in mental wellbeing between students in restrictive and permissive phone policy schools. While students in restrictive schools used phones less during school hours, their daily usage remained consistent. However, increased phone use correlated with anxiety, depression, poor sleep, reduced physical activity, and classroom disruption.

This suggests school bans alone aren't the solution and should form part of a broader strategy addressing screen time, sleep, and exercise. Our Senior School has implemented a phone-free school day without outright bans or costly lockboxes. This approach relies on staff vigilance, consistent reinforcement, and curriculum adjustments. They recently hosted their own successful event to help parents manage pupils’ smartphone habits.

One might argue that the media and parental focus on smartphones is too narrow. Screens are omnipresent in 2025, and harmful content is just as accessible on tablets, smart TVs, or game consoles. Younger children with poor screen habits will eventually graduate to smartphones, so taking a more holistic approach to managing screen usage is crucial.

Below are my top ten tips for schools and parents as shared with our school community:

1. Join the Smartphone Free Childhood Pact – Encourage your community to support this initiative. Highlight middle-ground options, such as phones without data or smartwatches with limited functionality.
2. Review homework and screen use – Schools increasingly use digital platforms for homework. Strive for balance, mindful that this adds to pupils’ overall screen exposure.
3. Monitor Screen Habits, Not Just Time – Focus on how children use screens, not just for how long.
4. Spot unhealthy behaviours – Be proactive in identifying signs of problematic use: difficulty stopping device use, deceptive behaviour, and lack of sleep or exercise.
5. Work With, Not Against, Children – Understand their screen use and what they enjoy.
6. Be Good Role Models – Parents and educators should model responsible screen use. I admit I am still working on this, often distracted by emails and to-do lists during family time.
7. Encourage Offline Independence – Allow more real-world freedom while tightening online restrictions.
8. Teach Digital Parenting Skills – Many parents lack knowledge of parental controls and need guidance.
9. Create Family Pacts – Help families reset digital boundaries with shared rules, like keeping phones out of bedrooms at night.
10. Foster a Non-Judgmental Parent Community – Encourage open dialogue and respect for varied approaches to digital parenting.

As C.S. Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” It is up to educators and parents to work together to recalibrate childhood experiences, helping young people navigate the digital world more healthily and remaining cognisant of the potential risks it poses.

Read the article here on page 20 of the latest issue of Independent Schools Magazine.