A group of concerned parents and carers are holding an event this coming Saturday to reinforce requests that schools ban smart phones until children reach Year 10 or age 14.
They want this backed by the States too, calling on deputies to make it law that children can’t own smartphones before then.
Smartphone Free Childhood says more collaboration between key authority figures is needed to protect youngsters from exposure to harmful content, bullying, and mental health challenges.
It also says that groups, including parents and teachers need to work together to bring about positive changes to develop healthier tech habits during childhood.
The Smartphone Free Childhood campaign launched in the UK in early 2024 and now includes more than 350,000 parents in 30+ countries. Many of them are forming pledges at school level to not use smartphones, but to look at alternative options instead.
They feel that too much responsibility has previously been placed with parents, and now is the time to “tackle the issues of smartphones head-on and reduce their hold over children’s lives”.
The message comes as the Guernsey arm of the group reveals key data and opinion after surveying 675 people in the island.
- 76% of parents report concerns about their children’s smartphone use
- By Year 6/age 11 more than a third have smartphones and 38% of those are already experiencing problems
- By Year 10/age 14, 79% are reporting issues relating to smartphone usage
To reinfore their message, the group has invited Dr Sanjiv Nichani OBE, to share his expertise on the impact of smartphones and social media on childhood development.
A consultant paediatrician from Leicester, he has spoken publicly about the perils of ‘screendemic’ – spending too much time on your phone or on social media.
The group will discuss the survey results at an event at Les Beaucamps High School on Saturday.
They’ll also discuss an alternative, simpler non-data style phone after the survey found 68% of primary parents would consider an alternative.
70% of parents also said they are interested in, or have already signed, a voluntary pact to delay smartphone ownership until Year 10 when their child turns 14.
Emma Lawlor, SFC Guernsey group member, said 93% of parents want more support from schools and the States to do this though as they try and navigate the growing pressures and problems smartphones create.
“As adults, we all feel the impact of smartphones and social media. We now also have growing evidence of the damaging effects these have on children. Since setting up the group, we’ve heard countless stories from parents and teachers, stories we simply can’t ignore.
“This group exists to shine a light on what many are quietly struggling with every day. It’s about knowing and feeling that there is a choice to delay smartphone/ social media, and that it is not inevitable that your child will have to have a smartphone to fit in.”
With 40% of parents reporting mental health impacts in children by age 14/Year 10 and 30% reporting exposure to harmful content the group says their message is clear: “Parents cannot face this alone. We need a community wide approach”.
Guernsey is now firmly part of that global movement and the momentum is growing, said group member Oliver Westgarth.
“We’ve all seen the headlines about the impact of smartphones on children, but the overwhelming response to our survey brings those concerns home to our community.
“It’s easy to give in to peer pressure, but our findings show that those concerns don’t disappear; the pressure simply turns into problems. These results are hard to ignore, and we hope they can empower both schools and parents to work together for positive change.”