Should cellphones be banned from colleges – take our ballot and have your say
Labour MP Josh MacAlister has proposed a new law to protect children from online harm by banning mobiles in schools – but do you think they should be a phone-free zone?
The Safer Phones Bill was introduced to Parliament this week and the new law aims to curb the ‘harm’ caused by ‘the amount of time kids are spending on smartphones and apps’.
Alongside making smartphone bans in school a legal requirement, the private member’s bill would also raise the age of internet adulthood from 13 to 16, strengthen Ofcom’s powers to allow the watchdog to enforce a code of conduct to prevent kids being exposed to addictive apps and crack down on ‘doom-scrolling’ – which can trigger anxiety and despair.
Writing in the Mirror, Mr MacAlister said: “The amount of time children are spending on smartphones and the apps they’re spending that time on are causing them harm. And not just harm in the obvious ways like to their mental health, but also to their sleep, attention spans, learning and performance in school. The worst part is, the most vulnerable kids are the most affected.”
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“Before I became an MP I was a teacher and then I worked with vulnerable children in the social care system, so I’ve seen firsthand the impact smartphones and social media have had.”
According to a Commons report this year, the average 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week on their smartphone, with a quarter of youngsters using them in a way that is consistent with behavioural addiction.
Internal documents in a legal case also suggested TikTok can hook new users in just 35 minutes.
Labour MP Josh MacAlister said: “When we learn that something causes harm, we regulate it and seek to reduce that harm. We did it with cars when people started crashing them by making seat belts mandatory. We need the equivalent of the “seat belt” legislation for smartphone use for children.
“We’re already behind the game on this. Countries around the world are taking action and we need to catch up.”
Private members’ bills rarely become law without government support. However, Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Everything is on the table when it comes to keeping young people safe.
“I’m looking very carefully at the powers that we might need to do so.”
In response to the original story about Mr MacAlister’s bill, Mirror readers largely agreed that schools should become mobile-free zones. Modena x wrote: “This is a good thing, schools are for learning, not distractions.”
While LynxVegas said: “Excellent. Rules for smart phones should have been created years ago.”
With MPs expected to debate the bill early next year, do you think schools in England should be mobile-free zones? Take our poll and have your say in the comments.
