Smartphone ban for kids is worth considering – MPs

In Salford, 15-year-old Jasper, who most frequently uses apps such as WhatsApp and Pinterest, told the BBC there were pros and cons to life as a teenager online.

“Yes I find it difficult because drama (arguments, confrontation) starts easier, but having social media and having a phone, if used correctly, can be helpful for finding other people that you connect with,” he said.

“Without it, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

Harry, 16, said he thought it would be more sensible to apply a ban to a younger age group, but admitted that teenagers spend “way too much” time on their phones.

In Glossop, Derbyshire, parents’ views on a potential ban were mixed.

Courtney Clarke, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said she hated her having a smartphone but liked to be able to contact her when she is walking to and from school or out with friends.

“If I took my daughter’s phone off her, I am taking away her social life, and that is not good, either”, she said, adding that her daughter did not have the same access to youth clubs that she did when she was young.

She said she would worry about her being bullied if she was forced to use a “brick” phone instead.