With continuing debate around the impact of smartphone and wider screen use on children, Deputy Head Pastoral at Solihull Prep School, West Midlands, Michael Jones, discusses some of the current thinking around the topic and the approach Solihull School is taking to support pupils with screen usage.
As both an educator and a father of two daughters (aged nine and eleven), I have watched with growing concern as negative press surrounding smartphones and their impact on young people reaches a boiling point. At Solihull School, with a community of over 1,500 pupils, including more than 450 at our Prep School, we are no exception when it comes to reflecting on whether a reset is needed in our approach to screen usage among young people.
As a parent, I took the plunge last year, handing over one of our old smartphones to my own Year 6 child, convincing myself it was part of growing up and that it would help us keep track of her whereabouts. My heightened awareness of internet safety left me feeling well-equipped to manage her usage compared to most. However, a few months later, I found myself shifting into reverse gear – significantly restricting her phone access and tightening parental controls around her use of apps and digital habits across all devices. Whether this will last remains to be seen, but I am compelled to try and hold off and am equipped with a renewed sense of determination the more I read around the topic…