When the prestigious English school, Eton, recently announced a mandate that all new students must use a basic Nokia phone handset, boarding school principals in boarding schools across Australia took notice.

But could a ban on smart phones for students really work in Australian boarding schools?

Eton’s school leadership made the bold move in an attempt to better protect teenagers from poor sleep and anxiety. The decision was made in a climate of increasing research and greater public consciousness around the negative health and psychological effects of screen use and digital device addiction.

In NSW, Premier Chris Minns recently announced a summit to investigate the toxic impact social media can have on young people – and he’s made it clear he is not ruling out a complete ban on under-14s accessing it. A similar ban has already been announced by Ron DeSantis, the governor of the US state of Florida.

With mounting evidence suggesting excessive smartphone use is linked to anxiety, poor sleep quality and depression in adults, a 2023 study by researchers at Macquarie University found disordered smartphone use significantly impaired cognitive performance.

At Frensham – a girls’ boarding school in the Southern Highlands region of NSW – a spokeswoman says that restricting access to social media for students until the age of 16 is being considered.

In regional Tamworth, Calrossy Anglican School principal David Smith says he is also open to an Eton-style ban on smartphones, adding that he would consult with parents to see if they supported the concept.

“There are some parents who have chosen to give their child a Nokia 3320,” he says.

“They’re concerned about the ease of access to the internet. What they’re doing at Eton, they’re saying ‘let’s not get involved in the traps of social media’. I think a lot of our parents would support it. But they are personal devices, at the end of the day.”

Currently, individual private schools in NSW can use their own discretion when it comes to student access to devices. Because Eton operates exclusively as a boarding school, implementing a universal ban is easier to enforce as part of the school rules and culture. A further 16 London school are set to advise parents not to buy smart phones for students under the age of 16, under a new policy to be rolled out in 2025. That direction will stop short of a complete smart phone ban, however.

At NSW’s Armidale School, AJ Whalley is the director of pastoral care and says they recently introduced ‘unplugged Wednesday’ at its boarding school – a day where students have no phones, no laptops and no other technology.

“In the first two weeks, there was pushback. But now they really enjoy it because of the connection, when everyone is in the same boat, and nobody has access to phones.”

When schools did confiscate a student phone overnight, Whalley says it was not uncommon to see that phone receive more than 250 notifications from a range of social media apps – with students feeling compelled to respond and react promptly.

“Parents are keen to do something because they see how much screen time their children have, and they want their kids to be more engaged.”

Smartphones – like pokies in their pockets

Whalley says the idea that schools should mandate ‘dumb’ phones has potential and would help protect students from potentially negative access to apps that are not appropriate.

“We’re quite keen to look at how other schools are managing phones and the idea of basic phones. I do think it could have some traction.”