Emily Henderson* says limiting children’s mobile phone use at school could improve educational outcomes and increase physically active play.
The latest screen-time –related research from Dr Pooja Tandon, a child health and development expert at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, was inspired by her oldest son.
“When my son entered middle school, I learned that students in many middle and high schools were allowed to have their phones with them at all times,” Dr Tandon said.
“I looked into this a bit more and found that even in schools where policies limited use during class, cell phones could still be used unrestricted during lunch and recess.”
Tandon, an Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, conducts research focusing on promoting healthy active and outdoor play for children and teens.
“My fellow paediatricians and I follow guidelines that recommend children and teens enjoy two hours of age-appropriate recreational screen time a day,” she said.
“Yet, many children may be spending most of their waking hours in school with what could be unsupervised and unrestricted access to their phones.”
First national snapshot of school phone policies
To better understand mobile phone policies and practices at primary and high schools in the US, Tandon and her colleagues conducted a survey of public schools serving grades 6–12.
The results of their survey, now published in JAMA Open Network, offer the first snapshot of school mobile phone policies.
Of the 210 schools responding to the survey, 97 per cent of primary schools and 91 per cent of high schools reported having a mobile phone policy for students.
A notable percentage — 33 per cent of primary schools and 69 per cent of high schools — did not restrict phone use during lunch or recess.
“Schools have a unique opportunity to create predictable screen-free time for children,” Dr Tandon said.
“Limiting phone use during the entire school day could significantly decrease their screen exposure.”
Dr Tandon thinks such an approach could lead to benefits in the classroom like improved focus and ability to learn.
From a social standpoint, limiting phone use during lunch and recess may promote more interaction between students and increase physically active play.
Why screen-free schools make sense
The study also lays the foundation for future research in this understudied area to help guide recommendations for screen time in schools.
In the published paper, Dr Tandon and her co-authors advise that just as schools are critical to helping children and teens meet guidelines for optimal physical activity and nutrition, they should support recommendations on screen time and media use.
“Just like schools are encouraged to help students achieve the recommended 60 minutes per day of physical activity, they have a role to play in helping children limit their screen time exposure,” Dr Tandon said.
Getting teacher and parent buy-in
While an overwhelming 90 per cent of principals responding to the survey agreed that mobile phone use policies should exist at all schools, Dr Tandon recognises that restricting mobile phone use during the school day requires trade-offs for schools and parents.
“We know that a lot of teachers use phones as part of their lessons, so it would be important to understand their attitudes toward student mobile phone use, too,” she said.
“Getting the support of the parent community can’t be assumed either.”
“Many parents want to be able to reach their children at school on their mobile phones.”
One argument she often hears from parents about limiting technology use and screen time in general is that children need to learn how to moderate consumption since screens and digital media are ubiquitous.
“I acknowledge that we need to teach our children to be responsible digital citizens and that teaching them to be responsible users isn’t accomplished by blocking technology completely,” Dr Tandon said.
Tips for parents
With the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Tandon acknowledges that screen time was likely increased for everyone as phones and technology helped many people stay connected.
She says in any case, it’s helpful for families to have some parameters around mobile phone use.
Dr Tandon offers a few tips for parents when it comes to reducing their child or teen’s mobile phone use during the school day or when at home.
Make family mobile phone rules
“Parents are generally encouraged to set limits around screen time,” Dr Tandon said.
“Rules like no cell phone use in the car or during homework or meals are good ones to add to your family’s list.”
Create “tech-free” times for the whole family so parents can model this for their children.
Keep mobile phones away
Even if it’s not the policy at your child’s school, encourage them to keep their mobile phone away in their backpack or locker for the school day.
They can then access it after school.
Explore parental controls
Especially for younger teens, consider parental controls (through phone settings or apps) around what content they can access to make sure it is age appropriate.
Consider limiting access to social media.
Keep mobile phones out of bedrooms
Place mobile phones out of arm’s reach, especially at night.
Set up an area for charging phones either in the parents’ room or another common family area.
Make a plan
A family media use plan can help balance your families’ online and offline activities.
* Emily Henderson is Editor of News-Medical.Net.
This article first appeared at www.news-medical.net.
