Latest news with #SmartphoneFreeChildhood
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Oxfordshire children 'at risk' from mobile phones, parents say
A father has asked a council to support a campaign to ban smartphone use in Oxford's Abraham, a member of Smartphone Free Childhood, joined other parents at Oxford's Town Hall on called on the city council to help schools develop policies limiting pupils' access to mobile phones and social Susan Brown said while she had "enormous sympathy" with the campaign, the council was not the city's education authority and had no remit to instruct schools to do anything. The local authority was due to debate the issue during a full council meeting, but ran out of time before reaching the Miles, who represents the Summertown ward and was due to propose the motion, said it was about acknowledging the concerns of parents and teachers. The appeal comes as Oxford Spires Academy has already introduced an outright ban on smartphones for Year 7 to 11 pupils from September, in favour of basic brick Friday, another two fathers warned Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson they planned to take legal action against the current government Orr-Ewing from Oxford and Pete Montgomery, who lives near Lancaster, believe a complete ban on smartphones in schools would be the safest approach. Mr Abraham said: "There is a huge risk that if leadership on this issue is not provided, then we will see more schools struggle to deliver the educational values and concepts they strive so hard to deliver every day. "We will see more children suffer both physically and mentally."Ms Miles said she was is in favour of the council writing to schools and offering its support."This is a live debate, nationally and locally," she said."It's about giving that recognition to teachers and the parents in the schools in our city that we care and we acknowledge their concerns about this and we will communicate this to our colleagues in Westminster." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
ITV News
11-07-2025
- General
- ITV News
More primary schools pledge to go smartphone free
A group of more than a hundred primary schools in Hampshire has collectively agreed to go smartphone free by the beginning of next year. Organisers from the Smartphone Free Childhood movement says 109 schools are taking part in the action, the biggest collective group since its campaign began last year. Smartphone Free Childhood says 31 more schools in the area are expected to come on board with the pledge in September 2026, taking the total number to 140. Schools in other parts of the country, such as St Albans in Hertfordshire and Enfield in North London, have made similar pledges. It comes amid growing concerns among health professionals, teachers and parents of the impact that too much unrestricted smartphone use, social media and screen time can have on children's mental health. Those in favour of the ban in the Hampshire schools say it marks a significant cultural shift in the fight against the impact of smartphone and social media use on children's wellbeing. Smartphone Free Childhood is a grassroots movement which launched last year. The cause encourages parents to delay giving their children smartphones, until at least the age of 14, and to restrict social media use until a child is 16. More than 150,000 signatures have now been added to an online pact by parents and carers across the UK, promising to follow that guidance. Organisers believe the collective movement will change 'the norm' to children being given basic phones as their first device, rather than a smartphone. 'This is a significant moment for Hampshire's school children," Clare Fernyhough, Founding Partner of Smartphone Free Childhood, who leads the campaign in Hampshire. "The average age a child receives their own smartphone is now around nine - so it's essential that primary schools lead the way on tackling this issue. "But smartphone free schools not only protect the school day -they also help shift the wider societal norms, by empowering parents to delay giving a device to their child. We hope this powerful example of collective action in Hampshire will inspire other counties to follow. "In the absence of government legislation, or tech companies changing their ways, it has been left to parents and schools to come together to protect this generation of children." Later this month the regulator Ofcom's Children's Safety Codes come into force, as part of the Online Safety Act. The codes cover areas including robust age checks for adult platforms and an end to harmful algorithms. If tech companies don't comply, they face hefty fines. The codes are yet to be fully tested in practice, but the regulator hopes they will prompt a shift in ensuring the online world is safer for children. Headteacher Jonathan Kirkham, of Weeke Primary School in Winchester, has spoken of the challenges he faces in school everyday due to children's use of smartphones. He said: 'I've been in teaching for 25 years. In the last decade, I've noticed a steady increase in problems linked to smartphones and social media. "Whether it's bullying on WhatsApp groups, access to extreme content, or reduced attention spans, these devices are impacting the very nature of childhood. "I took action because I felt I had no choice. I want my children to be safe when they come to school. This didn't feel possible when they were bringing smartphones.' Earlier this year Labour MP Josh MacAlister introduced his Safer Phones Bill which proposed a ban on smartphones in schools. Current government guidance is to restrict their use. However, the bill was watered down in March. It is now called the Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill ,with a debate resuming on the Private Members' Bill on Friday. Its main focus now is for more research on the impacts of smartphone use by children and a commitment from the Chief Medical Officer to publish advice for parents and carers. However, this change has prompted criticism from the Conservatives. Kit Malthouse, Conservative MP for North-West Hampshire, said: "The government missed a huge opportunity to improve the lives of young people when it bowed to pressure from big tech and watered down proposals to ban smartphones in schools nationwide. "Here in Hampshire, however, we are taking action. Headteachers, medical experts, and campaigners have joined forces to make our schools truly smartphone-free. "I've heard sobering accounts of children not just being distracted by their phones but experiencing anxiety, serious mental health struggles, and even suicidal thoughts. Some are exposed to deeply disturbing content, including violent videos.' A government spokesperson told ITV News: 'Schools already have the power to ban phones, and we support headteachers to take the necessary steps to prevent disruption, backed by our clear guidance on how to restrict their use. 'Even before the guidance was introduced around 97% of schools were restricting mobile phone use, but we know that there are wider issues with children's online experiences, which is why we are also bringing in better protections from harmful content through the Online Safety Act.'
BBC News
11-07-2025
- BBC News
Hampshire primary schools commit to going smartphone free
More than a hundred primary schools in Hampshire have announced they are committed to becoming completely smartphone free by January 2026.A hundred and fifteen schools have signed a collective letter that is due to go out to parents later. The initiative has been led by Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots movement encouraging all schools in Hampshire to take collective has raised concerns about the effect that smartphones can have on children's mental health, cyberbullying and being exposed to inappropriate material. One of the schools involved is Weeke Primary in Winchester, which headteacher Jonathan Kirkham said had made a commitment to work together with said: "We want to move towards giving children the opportunity to come to school without a smartphone, without a device that's, we believe, having an impact on them as individuals, as children."But one parent with a child at the school, Chelsea, said she could see some advantages of children using smartphones. She said: "Obviously not so much in school, but going on the way to school or home from school, ideally with iPhones and Samsung's, you can do Find my Friend if you child's not answering, and they've got their location on, you can see where they are."All the old 'brick' phones, you can't do that." 'Empowering parents' Clare Fernyhough is a founder of Smartphone Free Childhood and leads the campaign in Hampshire. She said: "This is a significant moment for Hampshire's school children. "The average age a child receives their own smartphone is now around nine - so it's essential that primary schools lead the way on tackling this issue."Making schools completely smartphone free gives children a break from the relentless burden of social media, and allows them at least six hours a day to focus, interact and enjoy their precious school years." "But smartphone free schools not only protect the school day - they also help shift the wider societal norms, by empowering parents to delay giving a device to their child. "We hope this powerful example of collective action in Hampshire will inspire other counties to follow. "In England, there are no laws about smartphone use in schools, however, the government has issued some guidance around it. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Guernsey politician calls for Snapchat ban for under 16s
The new President of Guernsey's Committee for Home Affairs Marc Leadbeater has said he will look into banning the social media platform Snapchat for under 16s. It follows a high profile case where a Guernsey teenager was sentenced to almost three years in youth detention for child sexual offences after using Snapchat to contact said: "There's eight and nine-year-olds using that app, and there is grooming happening on it".Snapchat has been contacted for comment. "I think there's something we need to examine, and if it needs to be a ban for under 16, then so be it." Scrutiny of smartphones During elections to committees in the States of Guernsey, Deputy Paul Montague, the new president of Education, Sport and Culture, said he would support a community led ban on smartphones for primary school age children. Deputy Leadbeater said he would be supportive of the project following pressure from the community group Smartphone Free Childhood Guernsey. The group is campaigning for a community-wide commitment to delay children getting smartphones until they are at least 14 years old.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Epsom and Ewell event held to discuss children's smartphone use
A campaign group that wants to limit children's access to smartphones is to hold a meeting in Surrey on Free Childhood was established after a WhatsApp group created by a mother from Suffolk quickly gathered organisation wants children under the age of 14 to be banned from having smartphones over fears using the devices affect their mental development, and around issues such as cyber Department for Education says mobiles are a distraction and has issued guidance to schools to restrict their use. Thursday's event, at St Martin's junior school in Epsom, will feature head teachers and safeguarding experts, and is already fully group encourages parents to sign a pact not to give their children a smartphone before the age of said 150,000 people had signed it so Baker, organiser of the Epsom and Ewell group, said: "It's all about strength in numbers."If your child knows that other kids in their class won't be getting a smartphone for a few years either, the peer pressure instantly dissolves."The group has said there should be concessions for children who use mobile apps to monitor conditions such as diabetes. 'Prevent disruption' A government spokesperson said: "Mobile phones are a distraction from learning and have no place in our classrooms, which is why our clear guidance sets out that school leaders should be restricting their use."Schools already have the power to ban phones, and we support headteachers to take the necessary steps to prevent disruption," they said. "Even before the guidance was introduced around 97% of schools were restricting mobile phone use, while headteachers also have the ability to implement complete bans, with many choosing to exercise this right."
