The authors of a study on school phone bans have admitted they were “surprised” to learn they have little impact on children. 

The finding comes as Education Minister Helen McEntee confirmed the Government would be spending €9 million on phone pouches for schools.   

Lead author of the study Dr Victoria Goodyear told Newstalk Breakfast that metal well-being, physical activity levels, sleep and classroom behaviour were all unaffected by school phone bans. 

“What we found was that school phone bans did now lower the overall time adolescents spent on their phones,” she said. 

“They lowered it by a small amount of time, but this was not enough to change their overall levels of use.” 

Children texting on their phones in the back seat. Picture by: Tetra Images / Alamy Stock Photo

According to Dr Goodyer, phone bans reduced students' phone and social media by around 30 or 40 minutes a day. 

However, she said most students spend up to six hours a day on their phones and four hours a day on social media, so this effect was negligible. 

'Not enough'

Dr Goodyear said the study confirmed that higher levels of phone usage are connected to worse mental health, worse physical activity, sleep, school performance and behaviour. 

“I think what we’re suggesting is not that necessarily we’re against phone bans or that phone bans don’t work,” she said. 

“What this is suggesting is the phone bans alone are not enough to tackle the negative impacts. 

“We can’t put all the responsibility onto schools and think that the issue with phones is going to be resolved by just blocking them in schools.” 

Young girl relax with her smartphone on a sofa

Dr Goodyear said we should think about “the wider aspects” of the effects of phone usage on adolescents. 

“If it’s delaying sleep or it’s reducing physical activity as well then that’s a bigger concern,” she said. 

“The more active you are, generally the more happy we are, the better sleep you get, the happier you are. 

“I think they all play into how we might address these negative impacts of phones and social media.”

Dr Goodyear said the study’s results had “surprised” her and her team. 

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Main image: Three smiling students wearing blue school uniforms with mobile phone in school corridor. Image: Barry Diomede / Alamy. 2014