31 h. ago Smartphone bans in Dutch schools have improved learning, study finds

After initial concerns, pupils are said to be more focused and have better social interactions with each otherBans on smartphones in Dutch schools have improved the learning environment despite initial protests, according to a study commissioned by the government of the Netherlands.National guidelines, introduced in January 2024, recommend banning smartphones from classrooms and almost all schools have complied. Close to two-thirds of secondary schools ask pupils to leave their phones at home or put them in lockers, while phones are given in at the start of a lesson at one in five. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago UK delegates unite in North Lanarkshire to share innovations in health and social care

Hosted by University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, attendees focused on sharing best practices and learning to further improve services and outcomes for patients and service users.

Politics

8 d. ago ‘I don’t think my brain should have gone through that’: five young people on their experience of smartphones as teens

What do people who got – and one who didn’t get – internet-connected phones in their adolescence actually think about the impact they had on them?Debate and anxiety about teen and preteen access to smartphones and social media is raging. One paper has likened smartphones to a “parasite” on our brains, while another study suggests moderate use of social media does not have a harmful effect on young people. In the US more than 100,000 parents have joined an online pledge to delay giving children smartphones until at least the eighth grade and in Australia a ban on under-16s using social media will come into effect in December. Despite all this, OECD figures released in May show 70% of 10-year-olds and 98% of 15-year-olds have internet-connected smartphones.So is giving teenagers smartphones that big a deal? Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago 'Really scared' Sam Thompson floored by family bombshell on DNA Journey as he learns family 'faked' posh name 'to improve social standing'

The Made In Chelsea star, 32, appeared on the ITV show alongside his I'm A Celebrity pal Marvin Humes , 40.

Events

2 w. ago Writer of Adolescence backs call by mother of murdered trans teen for ban on smartphones in schools

Jack Thorne, writer of Netflix's Adolescence, has backed Esther Ghey's call for a ban on smartphones in schools and social media for under 16's.

Events

3 w. ago Government urged to ban ‘no ball games’ signs to beat childhood smartphone addiction

Urgent action needed to allow children to play outdoors and away from digital devices, says a report by Raising the Nation Play Commission inquiry

Politics

3 w. ago Government told to ditch 'NO BALL GAMES' signs and ban phones in schools after screens blamed for 50pc decline in time playing outside

A new inquiry calls for smartphones to be banned in schools as part of a national strategy to get young people outdoors and 'disrupt the addictive grip of digital devices on children's lives'.

Politics

3 w. ago Google Pixel Pro that's 'much better than iPhone' hits Amazon sales with a mega £300 saving

Amazon has just slashed the price of the Google Pixel 9 Pro, giving shoppers the perfect excuse to treat themselves to a new smartphone without breaking the bank

Economics

last month Primary school bans smartphones after 9,000 messages sent in just one night in children's WhatsApp group

Shocked at the discovery, executive headteacher Simon Botten started a debate with parents on whether smartphones should be allowed in schools - and now pupils can't bring them in at all.

Politics