Smartphones and Young People: Another Christian Perspective

Dr Robin Barfield explores one of the biggest education debates of the moment, bringing a different perspective to the conversation as he considers whether there is still a place for smartphones in schools.

My children have been to three different secondary schools. Each of these schools had a smartphone ban with magnetic locking pouches. Each school communicates with parents through a series of apps which can only be accessed on a smartphone.

I understand that the simplest solution for safeguarding and discipline purposes is to ban phones in schools, but I wonder if the long-term impact may be deleterious. We have toquestion what the telos, or desired end goal, of education is. I think, in part, this is to learn to navigate the world we live in. I would like to suggest three reasons for reconsidering smartphone bans in schools and working towards a more nuanced approach:

1) Smartphones are a part of life – recent UCL research described them as a ‘transportalhome’. That is, we shop, we date, we sell, we travel on our phones (It is almost impossible to pay for parking with small pieces of gold any longer). We have to help students to navigate the world well with a phone.

2) Many vocations rely on smartphones – it's not just those who go into marketing who will need skills in navigating social media and other aspects of digital life. Increasingly, vocational skills demand a high level of technical abilities, wise use of AI, app navigation in presentation, buying and selling. Schools could be important places to learn to use these devices well. Could they be given some agency in decision-making around their phone use?

3) Smartphones are a problem – therefore, students need to be able to learn to focus on work with a phone by their side. How can they learn not to be ‘distracted’? A school could be a great place to learn to be with their phone but not on their phone. Similarly, students need to learn critical thinking skills in an age of fake news and AI-produced content. If phones were part of their research method, as they will be at home, then this could become a formative experience in educating for life. It seems that a significant proportion of Gen Z students are having spiritual experiences online or exploring faith. How can we help them understand and navigate what is good, as well as what is bad?

I wonder what it’s saying to a student to remove a smartphone from a place of education. What messaging is this giving a young person, particularly when it’s their primary source of education in the home? I understand that this will vary based on age, culture, and a school's ability to manage its pupils well. A lot of what I am suggesting here requires a high level of adult-pupil interaction and intervention. Teachers are hard-pressed to get through the curriculum towards exams. But perhaps there is a goal which goes beyond 18, and that is to help them to flourish in a world where digital skills are a necessity.

Dr Robin Barfield is Lecturer in Practical Theology and Support for Digital Pedagogies at Oak Hill College and will be a keynote speaker at ACT’s ‘Living for Jesus in Education’ conference in October.