The ban on smartphones alone does not allow children to equip them for the healthy use of technology, experts say

Simply banning access to smartphones and social media will not prepare children for the healthy use of technology, argued by BMJ’s international group of experts.

They say the focus should shift to a rights-based approach supported by age-appropriate design and education, which should protect children from harm while developing skills to help them participate in digital society.

A ban on smartphones and social media has been advocated in many countries, explaining Victoria Goodyear and her colleagues to protect children from harm despite no evidence of their impact.

For example, a recent assessment of school smartphone policies in the UK reported that restricted smartphone use in schools was not related to adolescent mental health and well-being, physical activity and sleep, educational achievement, or classroom behavior benefits.

The study also found no evidence that school restrictions are associated with low overall levels of mobile phones and media or problematic social media use.

While technology-free moments and spaces are important for children, the author argues that blanket restrictions “will rarely support the success of adolescent and adult transitions in a technology-filled world, stop gap solutions that are of little use to support children’s long-term healthy engagement with digital spaces across schools, homes and other contexts.”

Instead, they are calling for a rights-based approach to the use of smartphones and social media in line with the UN Convention on Smartphone Rights.

Recent international laws such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the UK’s Online Safety Act also clearly understand the need to ensure that children’s use of technology is compatible with their well-being.

An immediate priority is to develop specialized training and guidance to improve laws in the tech industry based on child rights and to help schools, teachers and parents actively engage in developing healthy technology use for their children and shaping future policies and approaches.

They acknowledge some potential challenges, but in the long run, they say that this approach is likely to be more beneficial and sustainable as it focuses on building safe ecosystems in a digital society.

“In the end, we need to shift discussions, policies and practices as we focus on restricting access to smartphones and social media, and focusing on developing children’s skills for the use of healthy technology,” they conclude.