Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to support a new law to ban smartphones in schools to stop children “doom-scrolling” – after Number 10 refused to back the plan.
New Labour MP Josh MacAlister is calling for the government to make legal changes to make social media and smartphones less addictive for children and to “empower” parents and teachers to curb screen-time.
The former teacher introduced his Safer Phones Bill on Tuesday which has received backing from cross-party MPs as well as education unions, charities and current and former children’s commissioners.
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One of the key tenets is legally banning smartphones from schools but Sir Keir’s spokesman said the government has “no plans to legislate” that as headteachers can already ban phones from classrooms, although they have no legal backing.
Sir Keir’s spokesman said the bill “won’t go ahead”, but Health Secretary Wes Streeting separately indicated some support for the bill as he said “this is a really timely debate”.
Mr MacAlister said he is not perturbed and told Sky News: “This is a campaign of persuasion.”
As part of the bill, he is calling for:
• Raising the age of “internet adulthood” (the minimum age to create social media profiles, email accounts, etc) from 13 to 16
• Legally banning smartphones from classrooms
• Strengthening Ofcom’s powers to protect children from apps designed to be addictive
• Committing government to review further regulation if needed of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under 16
Current guidance to schools in England intended to stop the use of mobile phones during the school day is non-statutory, and was introduced earlier this year by the previous Tory government. The bill would make it a legal requirement.
Mr MacAlister, who chaired an independent review of children’s social care for the former government, said there was a “huge public health problem” with children around the world having increasing levels of mental health problems, issues with sleep and being impacted by phones in school.
“I’m only interested in one thing, which is making sure we can change the law to protect children and reduce screen time and get them back to having a healthier childhood,” he said.
“Parents are saying they’re facing an impossible choice between either keeping their kids off smartphones and ostracising them or letting children get on these phones and seeing all the harmful effects that it can cause.
“And we need to shape some collective rules that help parents and teachers make better choices for children.
“Children themselves are recognising the harm that comes with all of the doom-scrolling.”
Doom-scrolling is the act of spending an excessive amount of time online consuming negative news or social media content, often without stopping.
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Mr MacAlister denied imposing a law would turn the UK into a “nanny state”, saying governments “do have a role to play” to set the rules for big tech companies.
And he said if the government fails to act, calls for a complete smartphone ban for children “will only grow”, which will make it tougher for the tech industry.
“So I’d say to them directly, get on board, engage with this, shape the regulation, help protect children and you will be operating in a UK market, which means you can keep the public onside with all the brilliant work that the tech industry does do without putting children at risk,” the MP said.
