WORRYING testimonials highlighting the impact smartphone use has had on some children have been documented as part of a scrutiny panel review – which has seen Public Health call for Jersey to consider banning mobile phones in schools for Islanders up to the age of 15.
In a submission to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel’s review into how Jersey protects children from online harms, local members of the “Smartphone Free Childhood” movement warned there was a need “to act quickly to protect today’s children and provide ‘tech-safe’ spaces for them”.
Included within the group’s written submission were testimonials from Jersey parents, describing examples of smartphone use negatively impacting children’s mental-health, causing isolation – and even contributing to suicidal behaviour.
My daughter started self-harming at the age of nine in response to bullying on a group chat on an iPad.
parent testimonial
“My daughter started self-harming at the age of nine in response to bullying on a group chat on an iPad,” one of the testimonials stated.
“At that time we removed the iPad and we got our little girl back for a while.
“She then moved schools and within a week of having a school iPad (we have told her she will never have a phone of any variety), she started self-harming again.
“This has escalated to suicidal plans and ideation in response to negative comments on group chats.”
Another parent recalled that: “One morning in the school playground before the school day formally started, our son was shown a beheading video on a friend’s phone – granted it was just the beheading of a cow, not a human and probably not a Jersey cow, but violence nonetheless and within the ‘safe’ confines of school.”
Our son was shown a beheading video on a friend’s phone.
parent testimonial
Other testimonials also referenced bullying via social media apps, as well as concerns over children accessing “endless streams of videos of drivel and nonsense” underpinned by “addictive algorithms”.
Public Health has also made a submission to the review, warning that “a co-ordinated, whole-society approach” is needed to protect young people from the mounting physical, mental and developmental harms associated with excessive tech use.
The department recommended that government should “develop a policy across schools to prevent or minimise use during the school day, especially for younger pupils” – suggesting that France’s national ban on mobile phones in schools up to age 15 “offers a potential model Jersey could adopt or adapt”.
The recommendation comes less than a month after Education Minister Rob Ward told States Members he thought Jersey was “perhaps inevitably” moving towards the mandating of schools as smartphone-free zones – and that the Island needed a “bespoke” social media policy.
And in a letter to parents this week, Jersey College for Girls principal Carl Howarth outlined the school’s new “No Phones Seen” approach that will take effect later this year.
The policy includes an expectation that phones “must be switched off, set to silent mode and stored out of sight when on college campus” between 8.25am and 3.25pm.
Public Health has highlighted findings from the most recent Children and Young People’s Survey, which showed that 39% of students had spent more than five hours on screens the previous day.
Only 22% of youngsters met recommended daily physical activity guidelines – falling to just 8% among older girls – and just under half of respondents slept eight hours the night before.
The department also pointed to “potential links between screen use and emotional wellbeing in Jersey”, with older students reporting elevated levels of anxiety.
Problematic screen use, marked by difficulty disengaging, withdrawal symptoms, and behavioural disruption, is increasingly recognised as a public health concern.
public health jersey
Citing international research, Public Health outlined a number of risks including sleep disruption, obesity, myopia, and cognitive impacts, along with exposure to cyberbullying and inappropriate content.
“Problematic screen use, marked by difficulty disengaging, withdrawal symptoms, and behavioural disruption, is increasingly recognised as a public health concern,” the submission said.
The department’s recommendations also included introducing “clear local guidance in line with WHO and other international recommendations”, strengthening digital literacy education, expanding parental support, and launching public awareness campaigns to “help shift social norms and support families and schools”.
“Fully addressing this issue will require a coordinated, whole-society approach, including clear legislation, sustained investment in prevention, and the meaningful involvement of children, families, and schools,” the submission added.
While acknowledging existing initiatives such as digital literacy work in schools and campaigns, Public Health stressed that stronger measures are needed to prevent long-term harm.
“The case for a coordinated, cross-sector response is clear,” it concluded.
The scrutiny panel’s findings are expected to inform future policy decisions aimed at safeguarding Jersey’s children in the digital landscape.
