Are Smartphone Bans for Teenagers the Healthiest Approach?

Smartphones have become a central part of modern life, and teenagers are no exception to this trend. However, there is growing evidence of negative mental health outcomes among teenagers associated with the use of smartphones. This has led many politicians and experts to debate the possibility of bans or restrictions on smartphone use for teenagers. In 2023, Florida became the first state in the US to restrict cell phones in schools. Other states, including California, the most populous US state, have followed suit. Across the Atlantic, Members of Parliament in the UK have called for a smartphone ban for under 16-year-olds, while in France, where cell phones in schools have been banned for years, a scientists' report commissioned by the French President urges a ban on social media for under 18-year-olds.

These politicians and experts correctly point to a wide body of scientific research on the mental health harms of smartphones among teenagers. In fact, a 2020 literature review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that social media can negatively affect teenagers' self-view and interpersonal relationships, in addition to increasing youth mental distress, self-harm, and suicidality, with more pronounced negative effects among girls [1]. Furthermore, in a study published in Healthcare this year, researchers focused on Austrian adolescents and young adults and found a clear association between intensive screen time and increased levels of mental distress, loneliness, and other mental health symptoms [2]. Another 2024 paper published by the US National Bureau of Economic Research states that an association between poor mental health and intensive screen time has been observed in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, including worse outcomes among girls [3]. Critically, these troubling observations are not confined to Western countries. A systematic review published in 2023 about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where I'm from, notes that problematic use of smartphones is a public health issue in the region linked to mental illness [4].

Despite this growing body of evidence, many argue that the association between screen time and poor mental health still does not justify outright bans on smartphones. Michael B. Horn, an executive director of Education Next, describes the bans on cell phones in schools as "ill-informed and regressive" in nature and argues that these devices can be valuable educational tools, with many useful learning applications that can be positively integrated into an appropriate learning model. He also believes that the access to smartphones in school provides an opportunity for teachers to educate students on how to use them responsibly. Similarly, public health expert Devi Sridhar argues in The Guardian that the focus should not be on the smartphone itself, but on how it is used. In a world where screens have become a necessity, she suggests that what teenagers need is not bans on screens but guidance on their use from parents and teachers, as well as holding social media companies accountable for the content they provide to this age group. Bans, she warns, can also provoke a public backlash, making it difficult to implement any nuanced and useful restrictions in the future. Andy Phippen, an expert on digital rights, questions the practicality of banning smartphones and social media. He writes in The Conversation that not only will teenagers continue using these platforms, but they may also end up distrusting adults, especially when adults blame them for their negative experiences because of using social media in the first place. This lack of trust can exacerbate the problem rather than ameliorate potential issues.

Scientific research has shown the necessity of healthier behaviors with more physical activity and less screen time, ultimately helping to achieve improved mental health outcomes [5]. These are definitely important measures to encourage, but overall bans on smartphones could be counterproductive. A balanced approach where parents and teachers guide and promote diversified activities alongside constructive use of mobile applications may help achieve the desired mental health outcomes from teenagers. This strategy not only allows them to benefit from the technological advancements of their time but also helps maintain the crucial trust between them and adults, all while avoiding the pitfalls of public backlash.

Mohammed-Amine RABOIJA

References

[1] Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Cmaj, 192(6), E136-E141.

[2] Mayerhofer, D., Haider, K., Amon, M., Gächter, A., O’Rourke, T., Dale, R., ... & Pieh, C. (2024, March). The Association between Problematic Smartphone Use and Mental Health in Austrian Adolescents and Young Adults. In Healthcare (Vol. 12, No. 6, p. 600). MDPI.

[3] Blanchflower, D. G., Bryson, A., Lepinteur, A., & Piper, A. (2024). Further Evidence on the Global Decline in the Mental Health of the Young (No. w32500). National Bureau of Economic Research.

[4] Bouazza, S., Abbouyi, S., El Kinany, S., El Rhazi, K., & Zarrouq, B. (2023). Association between problematic use of smartphones and mental health in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 2891.

[5] Precht, L. M., Mertens, F., Brickau, D. S., Kramm, R. J., Margraf, J., Stirnberg, J., & Brailovskaia, J. (2024). Engaging in physical activity instead of (over) using the smartphone: An experimental investigation of lifestyle interventions to prevent problematic smartphone use and to promote mental health. Journal of Public Health, 32(4), 589-607.