The use of smartphones in secondary schools has no longer been permitted since January 1, 2024. Some schools only ban smartphones in the classroom, but others have a 'At home or in the locker' policy. The motivation for this ban is that smartphones (seem to) have a negative effect on the concentration of students and their school performance. How do students experience this ban themselves, what makes them adhere to this ban, and how does this change if a school has a ban for a longer period of time? The SYNC Lab, Healthy Start, en Movez Lab joined forces to investigate these and other questions in their Unplugged project.
The Unplugged project follows approximately 100 students between the ages of 11 and 18 from a secondary school where the 'At home or in the locker' policy had been introduced. This policy means the smartphone must be left at home or in the classroom. The Unplugged project is a mixed-methods project in which researchers combine quantitative data with qualitative insights. Students completed questionnaires every two months about how they felt, what they thought of the rules and how much they used their phones at home and school. After six months, focus groups with the students followed to co-analyze and co-interpret the results. The project is still in full swing, but a cautious first impression of the focus groups and questionnaire shows that, according to the students, there are advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of the smartphone ban according to students
In the questionnaires and focus groups, the researchers asked students, among other things, what they thought about the smartphone ban at school. For example, some people have noticed that students at school are more social during breaks and have more conversations with each other. Previously, students immediately grabbed their phones when leaving class, but now they talk to each other. Another regularly mentioned advantage is that students can concentrate better because they are less distracted by their phones. Furthermore, some students indicate less 'drama' (bullying, fighting, unsolicited filming) during the break; others indicate more drama because students are bored. It is also known from the social sciences that adolescence is an essential period for social development.
The disadvantages of the smartphone ban according to students
The disadvantages that students mention mainly involve contact with parents and friends. Students indicate that they find it unpleasant and unsafe to be unavailable and cannot reach anyone in an emergency or 'if something comes up'.
Another major disadvantage they experience has to do with more practical matters, such as viewing their schedule or grades. They indicate that the school has chosen to offer this digitally, but that now feels contradictory because they are no longer allowed to use their telephone. They also suggest that they spend more time on their phone after school, to compensate for the online things they have missed. In addition, some also indicate that they find it annoying that they can no longer isolate themselves during the break ('crawl into their bubble') when they need to.
Students want to contribute ideas about policy
After the third questionnaire, the researchers asked students from the first and third grades to discuss the initial findings and think about the analyses. They explained what they believe are the most important predictors of whether you adhere to the ban and whether you think it is a good or bad idea. They also asked the students if they could think about the policy at school. Although the school actively involves students in the policy, the students who participated in the study feel they have yet to ask for their opinions or experiences. This is something they would like to do.
An alternative policy to the smartphone ban
“But what should such a ban look like?” the researchers asked the students. The majority believes that you should not use your smartphone in class and therefore supports a ban in the classroom. There seems to be disagreement about whether you can use your smartphone during breaks. Alternatives could be that you can only use your phone briefly to use WhatsApp or check your schedule. Students generally agree that the smartphone does not have to be left at home or in the safe. They think leaving the phone in a bin before the start of class is a better solution. According to the students, this way, they also learn to better deal with the urge to grab their smartphone, and they worry less about being unreachable and whether their smartphone is not taken from their safe.
Shortly, the researchers will delve further into the analysis and hope to provide the school with good advice based on the students' experiences and current knowledge.
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Contact: Britt van Sloun, Team lead editorial & communications ESSB, vansloun@essb.eur.nl