Banning smartphones in schools does not lead to better academic results or improved mental wellbeing for pupils, according to a pioneering study by the University of Birmingham.

The research, published in The Lancet’s European health policy journal, is the first of its kind to examine the impact of school phone bans on both education and student health. The study analysed 1,227 students from 30 different secondary schools, comparing their academic performance, mental wellbeing, sleep, classroom behaviour, exercise levels, and overall phone usage.

The findings revealed that there were no significant differences between students at schools with phone bans and those at schools without them. However, the study did confirm that excessive smartphone and social media use outside school hours was linked to lower grades, poorer mental health, and reduced physical activity.

Dr Victoria Goodyear, the study’s lead author, emphasised that while the findings do not oppose smartphone bans in schools, simply prohibiting phone use is not an effective standalone solution. “What we're suggesting is that those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impacts,” she told the BBC.

She added that the focus should now shift towards reducing students’ overall screen time rather than just implementing bans in school. “We need to do more than just ban phones in schools,” Dr Goodyear said.

The debate over mobile phone use in schools has intensified in recent years, with some arguing that bans help students focus, while others believe a more comprehensive strategy is needed to address the broader impact of smartphone addiction.

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