A group of headteachers in St Albans are asking parents not to let their children have a smartphone until they are 14. According to a BBC report in May 2024 “Most of the primary school headteachers in the city say they are backing the ban, as they are worried children are exposed “to a number of negative risks” when using smartphones.” Naturally, there’s a lot of conversation in St Albans on this topic.

We at Talk Shop wanted to help this discussion along by reducing the tension and polarisation.

On Sunday 24 November a group of people including parents, teachers, heads, councillors and others working with young people gathered at Cunningham HIll School, St Albans to explore the effects of smartphones and social media on young people. The workshop was a result of the coming together of the Smartphone Free Childhood group in St Albans and a small team looking to promote new democratic methods via participative workshops.

From the beginning this workshop was different. Instead of a heated debate about how dangerous or not smartphones are, participants were asked to consider a set of aims related to the wider development of young people including social development, positive mental health and safety/risk. After 15 minutes of quiet time to read the research material on smartphones prepared by the facilitators, they then worked in small groups to develop each aim more fully.

The final aims were then shared and voted on by everyone. Here they are in preference order as voted by the group:

  • Enable and encourage positive social development in children so they can feel connected to themselves and others and contribute to and participate in a healthier society
  • Support children’s mental health through the reduction of reliance on smartphones/devices and access to positive alternatives
  • Reduce the opportunities for and the effects of bullying
  • Promote independence in real life
  • Enable a healthy balance between safety and risk in childhood
  • Ensure children are able to develop friendships
  • Retain access to the benefits of smartphones where possible
  • Cultivate purposefulness

At this point the focus turned to possible solutions. After some more reading of solution ideas from around the world, three new groups were formed to consider what parents, teachers and finally what communities could do. After more discussions, the top 3 ideas from each group were shared to all and voted on. The most popular in each category were:

  • What parents can do:
    • Engage other parents and empower
    • Parents modelling good habits – More in person activity as parents
    • Give parents alternatives eg tracking
  • What schools can do:
    • More school partnerships (esp secondary, all sectors)
    • Get local authority support/li>
    • Encourage free play in schools
  • What communities can do:
    • Set times/locations for city-wide free play time
    • Rejuvenate youth clubs
    • Youth group coaching on phone free activities

Practical actions were then agreed in each area, before the workshop ended. You can read a more detailed report here.