No cell phones on campus, no change in the total amount of time spent... University of Birmingham Announces New Study Results
Feb 06, 2025
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According to Sky News on the 5th (local time), the University of Birmingham in the UK announced a study of 1227 students and 30 secondary schools that showed no difference in students' sleep, exercise, and academic achievement based on mobile phone bans. The strict mobile phone policy did not significantly reduce the total amount of time teenagers spend on their phones in a day. In this study, it was confirmed that longer looking at mobile phones affects mental health as well as behavior in the classroom, physical activity level, and sleep cycle.
These findings contradict the findings of a British center-right think tank published in April last year. The study looked at 162 secondary schools in England and found that schools with mobile phone bans were more than twice as likely to receive a 'excellent' rating in the government's public school rating.
In a related development, the Conservative Party issued official guidelines on how to ban mobile phones in schools last year, which also included guidelines on how to search students and bags if necessary. The Conservative Party even proposed a bill to ban mobile phones in schools to enforce these guidelines.
The current Labour government is opposed to passing the bill. The bill is expected to be reviewed in March.
Meanwhile, the library recently published 'Latest Foreign Policy Information' also addressed 'British Parliament: Mandatory Use of Cell Phones on Schools?'.
According to the survey, as of 2022, one in four countries have banned the use of cell phones on campus by law or policy. France has banned students under the age of 15 by law since 2018, and the United States has passed or implemented related laws in 18 states, including Florida. China issued a Ministry of Education notice in 2021 prohibiting students from bringing in cell phones without their parents' written consent. In January last year, the Netherlands implemented guidelines restricting the use of smartphones in middle and high schools and then expanded them to elementary schools in September.
In Brazil, restrictions on the use of mobile phones on campus have also been implemented since the 5th (local time).
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
