Should smart phones be banned for under 16s?

Bassmansam

Bassmansam

Bassmansam

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In my family whatsapp group I was pointed to a government petition about banning phones for under 16s.

I am 35 and don't have kids so I am not entirely informed on what goes on but this does seem a bit draconian and how would it be enforced? Maybe a better arguement would be to ban social media instead of the phone itself. After all , a nation voted in the Nazis and that was well before phones were about.
 
Here's the link for anyone who wants to sign it:
petition.parliament.uk

Petition: Ban smartphones and camera phones for under 16s

I have many concerns regarding the use of mobile phones that can access photographs and social media for children under 16. I believe there are too many safeguarding concerns, exploitation, cyber bullying and group trolling that can be mentally damaging children's well being.
petition.parliament.uk petition.parliament.uk
 
When I think of using the internet as a teenager, I think of gaming, and I think of adult content. Gaming sapped a bunch of my time, I didn't get as good grades as I would have if I'd put the time in. Adult stuff is just disturbing, even now I'm disgusted at some of the stuff put in front of me without me even looking for it. Then there's sites like Twitch, which claims to be 13+ but is full of 18+ content. So my take on all this is if the 18+ content can't be restricted to 18+ people, then the whole internet access should be 18+ only.

IMO the internet ruins society. Fake news, social media, fake accounts, influencers, ever more extreme content, woke mind virus, I could list stuff all day..

Following the same logic about the degradation of society: I'd also take us back to a time when women didn't work, a family could survive on one income, parents raised their children with manners, everyone ate proper meals, the birth rate was high enough to fund pensions without immigration, and nobody ever said "I wish we all had the internet".
 
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The internet has been revolutionary but I also agree that it is materially damaging society as well.

When I think about my own relationship these days, as a 44 year old, the internet is more interesting than anything an individual person can offer. Massive distraction risk and also conditions you to binge-ing content. I find it difficult to just sit and watch a film these days.

Who is to say where it will go in a hundred years and what it will have done to society as we know it.

But on the OP, I don't think taking phones off kids will help anything and it would come with huge backlash.
 
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Banning entirely is completey over the top and even if it wasn't, would be pretty much impossible to police to any sensible degree.

Restrictions in schools etc. would be more sensible and manageable.
 
While in school, it's all about classroom management... some teachers a good at it, some are not..
mobile phones being ban is like any other item, we had a ban on chewing gum when I was at school due to the amount of litter it caused and students not disposing of them correctly.

No doubt mobile phones has it's uses and is often a childs first step in becoming tech savvy.

The simple solution would be to have a mobile phone signal jammers installed in school to stop the phones from getting a signal, I worked at a place that "banned mobiles" in the early 2000s and they had one installed, but the number of staff members that will complain and schools hiring out land for telephone masts, I can't see that happening.
 
BowdonUK said:
When I was a kid we couldn't even bring a calculator to class. These days kids are bringing the whole internet in there pocket.

I think smartphones are a distraction. It wouldn't surprise me if some attention based conditions aren't influenced by smartphones.
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They very much are, every parent now seems to think their child has ADHD etc, but it's mostly down to the fact that the kids are given a phone from a young age and then can't cope with social interactions.

Our lass has to deal with this, it's a growing problem.
 
Just imagine having to use id to use the internet. Can't see that info ever getting misplaced by the government :rolleyes:. They'd be better off having some sort of short range jammer at the school to stop kids going online and being distracted imo.
 
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It wont come into force but I’m definitely of the opinion that phones should be banned in schools. The argument about ‘what if there’s an emergency’ doesn’t come into it either, teachers have a duty of care.

I’m thinking more about the pressures of social media and the infinite amount of short form content we’re all exposed to, it’s not healthy for me never mind kids or teenagers.
 
under 14s banned because I remember the utter boredom when 16, and also I remember my brain was nerdy as hell. (I programmed a maths calculator like it was some sort of second language). Denying kids the scope to advance that 'nerdy' stage would be self-defeating perhaps.
 
As a father who has recently seen his 16 year old daughter be victim to bullying I would say yes.

The schools and education system needs to be able to control it as it is getting out of hand. You will end up with no teachers at all if things stay the same.

I actually think social media is far more damaging to kids than any drug or alcohol. Kids are far too easily brainwashed. They all think what they see on social media is real life and studying is a waste of time because they will also do socials and get a lambo.
 
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I'd say banned in schools.

Either not allowed to bring phones to school or lockers of some kind whatever it may be to lock away devices till the end of the day. With appropriate consequences if students try to sneak things with a no noncense approach from teachers.

Outside of school it's the parents responsibility to have appropriate measures in place to limit what they can access. A 16 year old has zero need for unrestrained access to the Internet via SIM contracts which the parents have to take out as you have to be 18 years old for contracts. A simple low data plan is enough for emergencies. Wifi limited at home also and certain blocks put in place.
 
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adam cool dude said:
As a father who has recently seen his 16 year old daughter be victim to bullying I would say yes.

I actually think social media is far more damaging to kids than any drug or alcohol. Kids are far too easily brainwashed. They all think what they see on social media is real life and studying is a waste of time because they will also do socials and get a lambo.
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This is another point I worry about.

What do you want to be when you’re older? ‘An influencer’

These platforms bring the most self centred narcissists to the forefront and seeing it becomes normality for most so they think thats a normal way to behave. I feel the most for people with daughters like yourself.
 
No, a child should be allowed access to a phone. Just as the parent put as many parental controls as you can into the device to restrict what they can or can't do with the device perhaps.

I mean I was allowed to freely use all my devices since I was a child, but I guess we're more educated than most of our parents were when it comes to technology so we've experienced first hand the pros and cons.

I got my 1st phone when I was 13 but if I'd been born in this era I'd have probably had one at age 8 or 9.
 
Personality+ said:
No, a child should be allowed access to a phone. Just as the parent put as many parental controls as you can into the device to restrict what they can or can't do with the device perhaps.

I mean I was allowed to freely use all my devices since I was a child, but I guess we're more educated than most of our parents were when it comes to technology so we've experienced first hand the pros and cons.

I got my 1st phone when I was 13 but if I'd been born in this era I'd have probably had one at age 8 or 9.
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Not sure what age you are but the biggest decision I had when phones first came out was whether to buy a polyphonic or monophonic ring tone from some hotline.

It’s totally different now.

Even then, phones weren’t allowed in class.
 
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