A group of international experts is advocating for a shift in how society approaches children’s use of technology, arguing that simply banning smartphones and social media access isn’t the answer. In an article published in The BMJ, the experts contend that a rights-based approach, emphasizing age-appropriate design and comprehensive education, is crucial to protect children from potential harm while equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in a digital world.
Victoria Goodyear and her colleagues highlight that the effectiveness of bans on smartphones and social media is not supported by strong evidence, despite their widespread advocacy in numerous countries. For example, a recent evaluation of school smartphone policies in England revealed that restricting smartphone use in schools did not correlate with improvements in adolescent mental health, overall well-being, physical activity, sleep quality, educational attainment, or classroom behavior. The study further indicated that school-imposed restrictions did not lead to reduced overall phone or media usage or lessen problematic social media habits.
The authors recognize the importance of technology-free moments and spaces for children. However, they argue that blanket restrictions are, “stop-gap solutions that do little to support children’s longer term healthy engagement with digital spaces across school, home, and other contexts, and their successful transition into adolescence and adulthood in a technology filled world.”
Instead, the experts propose adopting a rights-based approach to smartphone and social media use, aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Such an approach prioritizes protecting children from harm while nurturing healthy development related to smartphones and social media. Recent international legislation, like the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the UK Online Safety Act, underscores the global awareness of the importance of ensuring that children’s technology use is compatible with their overall well-being.
Immediate actions include refining legislation for the technology industry to be grounded in children’s rights, and creating robust professional training and guidance programs for schools, teachers, and parents. These programs aim to enable active participation in fostering children’s healthy technology use and shaping future policies and approaches, the authors write. While acknowledging several potential challenges, the experts assert that this comprehensive approach is likely to yield more sustainable and beneficial outcomes because it focuses on constructing a safe ecosystem within a digital society.
“Ultimately, there is a need to shift debates, policies, and practices from a sole focus on restricting smartphone and social media access toward an emphasis on nurturing children’s skills for healthy technology use,” the article concludes.
