Emanuel School primary bans smartphones
In the wake of unprecedented mental health concerns and evidence linking smartphone and social media use to increased anxiety, self-harm and rates of depression and suicide globally, Sydney’s Emanuel School has announced that the Primary School is going smartphone free.
Illustrative: Social-media companies displayed on a smartphone. Credit: Twin Design/Shutterstock
Emanuel School Psychologist, Dr Tamara Kezelman, who headlined an event at the School, Keeping Kids Safe Online, raised two major risks associated with internet usage for children. The first is the risk of overuse of devices, which has the potential to detract from life experiences critical to skill development. The second is the risk of exposure to harmful content online, a highly likely eventuality once kids are on the internet. Cyberbullying is a prominent example of this, with research suggesting that one in four children has experienced cyberbullying and one in six has done it to others – the impacts are felt long after the incidents due to their permanence and scalability on digital devices.
“The increase in smartphone technology and social media usage amongst younger children is alarming. We are proud to be making strides towards a school environment that continues to place a high value on the social and emotional wellbeing of every student,” says Andrew Watt, Principal.
Emanuel parents and Co-Founders of the Wait Mate movement, Jessica Mendoza-Roth and Amy Friedlander, shared their pledge and connect system at the event as a tool for parents to garner strength in numbers on the issue of smartphones, which are addictive and a gateway to constant connectivity and social media. Uptake in the school community has been heartening with all Emanuel Primary Year groups having ‘unlocked’, meaning there is strength in numbers across all cohorts to delay smartphones.
Emanuel leadership has announced their broader policy updates for Primary students, including no smartphones at school and the recommendation of no social media or chat groups until the current recommended age of 13. The School is also urging all current and future Primary parents to sign the Wait Mate pledge to safeguard the Primary school culture. The alignment between Emanuel Primary School policy and the groundswell of enthusiasm from its parent body is creating a sense of hope and excitement in the School community.
To further their commitment to these changes, Emanuel School announced a review of the use of screen time in classrooms to ensure it is thoughtful and mindful, minimising digital distractions in order to safeguard attention spans and ultimately enhance learning and wellbeing for students.
“We are incredibly grateful for the School’s support and the School’s exceptional leadership on the unprecedented issues we face as parents today. Kol Hakavod Emanuel!”, says Wait Mate CoFounder and parent, Amy Friedlander.
Launched just six weeks ago, Wait Mate has spread rapidly across the nation with parents from over 520 schools already pledging to delay smartphones until at least High School. By connecting parents with aligned families in their child’s school Year group, Wait Mate is empowering collective action that is having an immediately positive impact by reducing social pressure to own a device in 1,000+ cohorts Australia-wide, ensuring that social exclusion becomes a thing of the past.
Jeremy Stowe-Lindner, principal of Melbourne’s Bialik College, told J-Wire: “For years, we have not permitted phones below year 10. If they are seen or heard during the school day, they are immediately confiscated. It is wonderful that other schools are now reaching the Bialik standard.”
Good move by the school. Social media is mostly a pointless waste of time