Schools: Mobile Phones

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Thursday 28th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Cass, and welcome her to the House. I am looking forward to discussing these and other matters with her. I thank my friend, the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, for securing this debate this afternoon. It is vital that we discuss this. I also thank those in the House of Lords Library and many organisations and individuals outside who sent me many links and much advice—too much to be able to mention this afternoon.

I am pleased to address the crucial issue of mandating mobile phone-free schools. As the Motion from the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, rightly highlights, there is a growing interest in restricting mobile phone use within educational settings. While such a measure holds great promise for fostering positive learning environments, we must also recognise the disproportionate impact that mobile phones, and especially social media, have on adolescent mental health, particularly among young girls.

Research from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, alongside similar international findings, reveals a clear gender disparity in how social media influences mental health. Girls, on average, spend more time on social media than boys, which correlates with higher rates of depression, anxiety and body dissatisfaction. Young women face particular vulnerability to the pressures of idealised online content and the risks of online harassment. For those who engage with social media for five or more hours each day, depressive symptoms can increase by as much as 50%. This stark statistic highlights the emotional toll experienced by many young women. Further, bullying increasingly occurs online, with mobile phones enabling harmful behaviours that may lead to severe disciplinary actions, including suspensions or expulsions from school in extreme cases, which none of us wish to see. Mobile phones become a weapon of choice in bullying, exacerbating the mental health and well-being crises facing our students.

The frequent use of smartphones is linked to negative effects on both physical and mental health. Prolonged screen time has been shown to impair impulse control, encourage addictive behaviours and hinder concentration. Social media use is also associated with lower self-esteem and heightened levels of depression and anxiety, as I mentioned. Additionally, the blue light emitted by smartphones can damage eyesight, disrupt sleep and contribute to other health issues. Clearly, time away from smartphones would be beneficial for students’ overall well-being.

A mobile phone-free policy in schools could mitigate these risks, but we must also consider its potential to deepen inequalities, particularly for children from less stable family backgrounds. We must acknowledge the needs of students with caring responsibilities or those from split families. For some, being reachable by phone is essential; for instance, those who care for siblings or other family members may need to respond quickly in an emergency. Similarly, children who have to move between homes due to shared custody arrangements rely on phones to stay connected with both parents. A blanket mobile phone ban could inadvertently place additional stress on those students who depend on their devices for emotional support and stability.

In the light of these challenges, I advocate for a balanced, nuanced approach to mobile phone use in schools. We should consider structured policies that limit distractions while recognising the legitimate need for occasional communication. For instance, media use should be prohibited during school hours, although I acknowledge that enforcing this would be difficult.