Banning smartphones in schools has little or no impact on the wellbeing of students or their education or on the prevalence of online bullying, research by the Anti-Bullying Centre at Dublin City University has found.
In a review of international research on smartphone bans and on smartphones among children and teenagers, DCU researchers found that most studies showed that banning the devices in schools had "little or no impact on education and wellbeing".
They found that no current research definitively demonstrates that smartphone bans completely protect children and adolescents from online bullying or harmful content.
The findings are published as the Government moves to soften its stance on the issue of smartphone bans in schools.
Last week, in guidance sent to schools, the Department of Education stated the policy was to seek to "restrict" smartphone use at post-primary level.
Issuing guidance to schools it said the intention was "to enhance student wellbeing, reduce risks such as cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content, promote more focused school environments, with greater peer interaction and socialisation".
Watch: Students discuss the impact of smart phone bans at school
However this DCU study, entitled, 'Restriction or Resilience? Smartphone Bans in Schools: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Students', casts doubt on the efficacy of school smartphone bans on achieving most of these aims.
It says that the debate on smartphone use by children and adolescents "has been dominated by adult concerns on the potential or perceived dangers of smartphones and social media, which in turn seeks to justify smartphone bans in schools".
It has criticised some reporting about smartphones which "may unwittingly perpetuate a disproportionate feeling of fear that smartphones alone threaten the wellbeing of children and adolescents".
"Propagating such negative perceptions clouds the responsibilities of social media companies and governments, as it is an easier solution to ban smartphones rather than delving deeper into the issues at hand", the researchers concluded.
They observed that "by negating responsibilities of these stakeholders" online spaces were not being made safer, and adolescents were not being taught the key critical digital skills they needed.
Looking at the international picture the report notes that while some countries, such as France and the Netherlands, have announced smartphone bans, some other jurisdictions, such as several school districts in Canada, have reversed bans after finding they were too hard to implement, or did not work. The study has found that many countries now allow schools to make their own decisions.
The study is critical of the lack of consultation here with students, on a matter that "directly impacts them".
As part of this study researchers gathered the views of children and young people via structured focus groups, using a sampling strategy across a mix of school types. In all, 66 young people between the age of 10 and 18 participated.
Students said that they were not taught enough in school about online safety and digital citizenship which led them to rely instead on their peers for guidance and skills.
"Our research shows that we need to listen to students on issues that directly impact them and ensure that they are included in the decision-making process regarding policies on smartphone bans and related issues.
"My hope is that this research will allow adolescents to finally have their voices heard and it will provide an opportunity for more nuanced conversations on smartphones", said lead author of the report, Dr Megan Reynolds.
Director of the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre and UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying, Professor James O’Higgins Norman said: "Students in schools are concerned about developing digital skills that they believe will help them to cope with the many risks they may face online, and they are asking for more digital safety education instead of smartphone bans.
"Students have also indicated that there are more pressing issues for students than smartphones in schools that they believe require action, including vaping."
The study also found that the stricter the school ban on phones, the more students look for ways to subvert it.
The report recommends further research on the issue, that the student voice be empowered in initiatives or policies that directly impact students, and appropriate regulation of social media companies.
