Most parents regret giving children a smartphone - is it time to ban them for under 16s?

Most parents regret giving their children a smartphone and and almost half believe the devices have changed their personalities - so is it time for Labour to rethink its policy on what tech is safe for under 16s?

The previous government, which banned smartphones from schools, was considering a ban on selling them to under 16s, but new Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously dismissed the idea as impractical.

However, a new survey of parents around the world, by phone manufacturer Human Mobile Devices (HMD), has suggested "solutions are urgently needed" on young people's smartphone usage.

The research found that 11 is the average age parents give their children smartphones, but 54% wish they'd waited longer and a third said the reason was because of the way their child's personality has changed for the worse.

The survey of 10,000 parents in the UK, US, India, Germany and Australia also found that almost 75% fear smartphones expose their children to internet dangers.

Separate research by the Education Select Committee from earlier this year also found that children are exposed to “serious dangers” online and the risks of smartphone usage outweigh the benefits.

The committee said the next government should urgently consider banning smartphones for school-aged children.

HMD's global survey also found that a third of parents have cried over their child’s phone obsession and 55% say it is a big source of household arguments.

It is not yet clear whether Labour will bring in any new legislation to resolve the issue, but Dr Becky Foljambe, founder of Health Professionals for Safer Screens, said the research shows "solutions are urgently needed".

Watch: Next government urged to consider banning smartphones for under-16s - May 2024

But, speaking on LBC days after winning the election, Starmer said: "In relation to simply banning phones for under 16s, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think that’s a practical way forward.

“But I do think I will sit down with anyone to look at how we’ll put in place better protections because all parents and everybody across the country is concerned about what can actually be accessed on a phone.”

Calls for tighter restrictions on smartphones have grown louder amid a campaign by Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered trans teenager Brianna, who has been calling for restrictions on under-16s using smartphones and social media.

She told BBC Breakfast that at the very least, mobile phone companies should "take more responsibility" over the impact of their products - and Dr Foljambe agrees.

Dr Foljambe, from Health Professionals for Safer Screens - a group dedicated to health and social care professionals who share concerns about the harmful impact of smartphones on children - said the "reality is the technology to protect these children could be improved".

HMD, which owns Nokia, is co-creating a new phone with parents to tackle the impact of smartphone use and social media on the wellbeing of children and create the choice needed to find balance.

It said the Better Phone Project will "offer a suite of new and innovative solutions which could work for parents, their children and anyone who is looking for credible alternatives to a smartphone".

Alison Winsborough, an assistant principal at a school in Dorset, said parents should have more control over how much children use phones, and even her 12-year-old daughter Edie admitted her life revolves around her phone.

“I do spend more time on my phone during the school holidays and I can be on it for hours, scrolling on TikTok, messaging," Edie said.

"My life does revolve around my smartphone: when I’m doing something it’s always there and when I’m not doing anything, it’s always there.

“Without a smartphone I would have more freedom in the sense that I could go out and enjoy yourself and not take pictures and just be with one person without messaging multiple other people.” 

Responding to the survey, a government spokesperson said: “Creating a safer online world is a priority and ensuring the Online Safety Act is implemented is an important part of this work.

“Ofcom has set out the steps companies will have to take to protect children on their platforms under the Online Safety Act, including using highly effective age checks and altering their algorithms to filter out harmful content.”

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