Governments banning mobile phones in schools

A report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) recommended that governments ban mobile phones in schools. Many countries have followed the recommendation including the UK, France, Netherlands, Finland, Israel, China, Australia, Greece, Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda. 

Is this intervention in the mobile phone market an example of government policy to correct a market failure? There is now a significant amount of research into the impact excessive use of mobile phones has on school pupils. It is argued that young people who spend too much time on smartphones adversely affect their creativity, problem-solving, imaginative play and communication skills. The overall conclusion of this research is that children’s cognitive ability is being negatively affected by mobile phone use, which can lead to significant social costs.

Part of this social cost is the negative impact smartphones have on the personal development of young people and their mental health. A report by the World Health Organisation(WHO) said that depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are significant challenges to the health of young people and some medical professionals have linked mental health issues amongst young people and their excessive use of mobile phones.

The mental health problems amongst the young are a personal cost to them but they also cause a negative externality in terms of the health care costs of treating people whose health is adversely affected by the use of mobile phones. In addition to this, if the educational performance of school pupils is negatively affected by their excessive use of mobile phones this could have an external cost in terms of their future productivity at work. 

There are, however, questions about the argument that mobile phones come with such significant social costs for young people. Mobile phones can help young people learn especially in a job market with so many learning-based applications available on smartphones. This could be important In an increasingly technological-based labour market. In addition, the claim that mobile phones have had a significant effect on the mental health of young people needs to be looked at in the context that there are many factors other than the use of mobile phones negatively affecting their mental health.

Possible questions to discuss with a class

1. What are the social costs of young people using mobile phones?

2. What are the negative externalities associated with the use of mobile phones in schools?

3. Why is it difficult to assess the true extent of the social costs of young people using mobile phones?

4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of banning mobile phones in schools.