School taking action as teens 'terminally online'

A secondary school plans to become a phone-free space after pupils were able to view disturbing videos online.

Will Penny, head teacher of Backwell School in Somerset, said he was considering spending £20,000 on magnetic locking pouches so that pupils are not tempted to use their phone during the day.

The move comes as a study by the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol found up to 25 per cent of pupils surveyed had a wide range of negative experiences with their smartphones.

Student Bobby, aged 15, said some of his friends are "terminally online" and will monitor their social media throughout the school day.

UWE's research also found parents underestimated the types of harmful content their children were viewing.

During one incident after the assassination of Charlie Kirk in the USA, a disturbing video began being shared online.

Mr Penny said: "They'd been circulating on WhatsApp groups and Snapchat in total graphic detail.

"We tried to remind children about what is suitable to watch online and appealed to parents as well, about putting parental controls on phones."

There have also been incidents where Year 7 pupils have been exposed to inappropriate language or images on WhatsApp groups.

School leaders are now looking into rolling out a phone-free policy, which will mean pupils will not be allowed access to their devices throughout the day.

In February, the UK government introduced new guidance for schools in England, encouraging all to prohibit the use of mobiles at any time during the school day.

Marria, aged 14, said she spends around two-and-a-half hours a day on her phone, which is "low compared to [her] friends".

"There is a lot of negative stuff online, but at the same time there's a lot of useful information," she said.

"But just going on Tiktok for five minutes and then you find yourself scrolling for half an hour. I think it does impact our lives mentally."

Marria said she feels in control of her phone use and actively sets reminders to keep her screen time low.

Mr Penny said anecdotally around 50 per cent of the students will have their phones switched off during the day, as per school policy, but the rest will be on vibrate.

"The children need to be focused on the classroom and not what's going on on their phones," he added.