Boarding school principals in NSW are weighing up banning smartphones and social media for some years in a move which would mirror high-fee English school Eton’s edict mandating that new students must use a basic Nokia handset.
The decision at Eton was taken in a bid to protect young teenagers from poor sleep and anxiety amid increasing public consciousness about the detrimental health and psychological effects of digital addiction.
Eton has told new students they will have to use a basic Nokia. Schools in Australia are thinking about doing the same.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced a summit to examine the toxic effects of social media on young people, and has not ruled out a complete ban on under-14s accessing it, similar to the one announced by Ron DeSantis, the governor of the US state of Florida.
Mounting evidence suggests excessive smartphone use is associated with depression, anxiety and poor sleep quality in adults. A Macquarie University study last year found disordered smartphone use significantly impaired cognitive performance.
Girls boarding school Frensham in the Southern Highlands is considering restricting access to social media for students until the age of 16, a spokeswoman said.
Tamworth’s Calrossy Anglican School principal David Smith said he was open to the idea of an Eton-style ban on smartphones but said he would have to work with parents to see if they were supportive.
The principal of Calrossy Anglican School said he is open to a smartphone ban but said parents would have to be consulted.
“There are some parents who have chosen to give their child a Nokia 3320. They’re concerned about the ease of access to the internet,” he said.
“What they’re doing at Eton, they’re saying ‘let’s not get involved in the traps of social media’. I think a lot of our parents would support it. But they are personal devices at the end of the day.”
In NSW, individual private schools can use their own discretion when it comes to devices. At Eton, all the students board so a universal ban is easier to police. Under a new policy to be rolled out next year, a further 16 London schools will instruct parents not to buy their phone until they are 16 but will stop short of a complete ban.
The Armidale School’s director of pastoral care AJ Whalley said they recently introduced “unplugged Wednesday” at its boarding school. It means no phones, no laptops and no other technology is used by students.
Digital addiction is increasingly affecting sleep while worsening depression and anxiety.Credit: Getty
“In the first two weeks, there was pushback. But now they really enjoy it because of the connection, when everyone is in the same boat and nobody has access to phones.”
He said when the school did confiscate a phone overnight, it was not uncommon for it to have upwards of 250 notifications from various social media apps, and students felt pressured to respond promptly.
“Parents are keen to do something because they see how much screen time their children have and they want their kids to be more engaged.”
Whalley said the notion of schools mandating dumb phones had potential. “We’re quite keen to look at how other schools are managing phones and the idea of basic phones. I do think it could have some traction.”
Kinross Wolaroi School, a boarding school in Orange, allows students to use their phones to call home and stay in touch with their family but said all digital devices including phones are locked away overnight.
“Right now, our families seem happy with our current smartphone arrangements, but society in general seems to be recognising the harms that digital devices can represent for children, and it may not be long before a more protective stance is the norm,” principal Dr Andrew Parry said.
“Eton are in the fortunate position that all their students are boarders. For schools like ours, where 40 per cent of our senior students are boarding and the rest are day students, we must find a balance that works for everyone.”
Presbyterian Ladies College principal Dr Paul Burgis said a positive school culture set norms around phone use but acknowledged the need for adults to protect younger students from addiction.
“It is a good idea and something we will consider,” he said of the Eton ban.
Under current rules at his school, students in years seven to nine must keep their phones in lockers but said issues arising from smartphones and social media generally occurred after school hours.
“As an adult community we need to recognise that some young people will retreat to toilet cubicles to use iPhones. Having the rules doesn’t guarantee the outcome. The positive student culture matters.”
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