Is Banning Smart Phones the Answer?

I complained to Ofcom. Years ago, we were in the middle of the school-drop off. With the local radio station playing in the background, I became aware of simulated sex noises coming from the speakers. It was the latest in an “edgy” campaign by Pot Noodle. Furious, I contacted Ofcom to ask about the watershed on radio and the station involved was subsequently put on notice. Another time whilst out shopping around the time my son was learning to read, he asked my what a “p – o – r – n – o” was, having read an advert on a bus. (promoting the movie, Zac and Miri Make a Porno).

My point is, as parents we are constantly fighting the battle with the outside world to create a safe and appropriate zone for our kids to live their lives. And we must choose our battles. I was the parent who allowed Coronation Street but banned Eastenders for its relentless negativity. Who had discussions about sex as soon as my kids brought it up but banned screens from their bedrooms way longer than any of their friends. Being a parent has never been easy. Especially today when kids’ worlds aren’t confined to the local neighbourhood but the World Wide Web.

The issue of smartphones is a hot topic in the UK and one that many parents worldwide wrestle with. Some of the recent stats are horrific. According to Ofcom, 32% of kids have seen something worrying or nasty online. And campaigning by the mother of Brianna Ghey the youngster killed by two other teens in a pre-meditated attack has brought the issue into focus. Parents overall, are trying to do their best. Every child we speak to can tell us “The family rules” when it comes to technology and devices. And yet we see stats like the one above.    

So, is the dumb phone the answer? EE the phone network has recently issued age guidance recommending that smartphones should not be given to kids until they reach 13. But I wonder how much this will be followed by parents? When it comes to giving access to smartphone technology we see three key drivers from parents; they want their kids to fit in; they want to enable and encourage their tech expertise as a springboard for their journey to adulthood and possible careers and they want to know their child is physically safe.

There is no doubt that online dangers are real and the impact of social media on kids’ and teens mental health is well documented. However, access to technology is such an intrinsic part of kids’ lives. And there’s a lot to unpick. From school WhatsApp groups, homework distribution and edutainment, online technology is a key part of family life today.

Through our panels in the UK, US and China we see some fascinating differences in behaviour around devices and technology. UK kids generally are allowed early adoption and wide access to devices and smartphones. In the US kids tend to be steered towards “safer” devices such as Kindles or the family laptop with cell phone ownership coming later. They are also kept busy with extra-curricular activities so that their screen time tends to be slightly less. In China kids tend not to have their own mobile phone until much later but have unlimited access to content. However, screen time is closely monitored, and parents physically remove the devices to enable that. Because of this we see that hobbyist activities are particularly popular in China as kids sate their boredom with reading and creative pursuits.

So, what’s the conclusion? There is no doubt that online content is under-regulated when it comes to kids and teens, but there are also many advantages to new technology. Parents certainly deserve more support from online platforms – in our Raising Gen Alpha report Millennial parents told us that platforms did not support their efforts but actually under-mined them.   Meta’s nuanced approach announced this week to switch to default privacy for under 18’s and switching off notifications between 10pm and 7am is an interesting development. Whether focussing that regulation on devices rather than content is actionable or realistic remains to be seen. What is for certain is that the more tools we give parents the more THEY can decide which battles they wish to fight on the Homefront. When it comes to smartphones can we really put the (device) genie back in the bottle?