Children's addiction to smartphones is damaging their education and social skills – Charles Tate

Many people tell me to ‘just take the phone away’, but in some schools that is forbidden

The end of the summer holidays saw many teachers return to the classroom with a real sense of foreboding. I know, I can hear the voices now: boohoo, go cry me a river about your six weeks off. But wait, for me, the truth is this: I love teaching. Yes, young people can, at times, be challenging, but they are funny and insightful and I find real meaning in my job. It’s not the pupils or the parents or the marking I dread, it’s the mobile phones.

A few years ago, it went like this: I would raise my eyebrows and feign a cough. The young person would glance up from their phone, with a look of guilt, offer a stuttering apology and promise it wouldn’t happen again. That was then, this is now.

Recently, I’ve found many pupils don’t even try to hide their phones, they almost seem to consider them an extension of their very selves. They are not hidden anymore but displayed, openly, on the desk, and there’s no shame in using them. From a pupil’s point-of-view, phones are a right, not a privilege.

I’ve been a teacher for more than ten years and I’ve come to the conclusion that mobile phones are damaging to the education of young people. If you don’t believe me, then ask the United Nations, which has just called for a global classroom ban. I couldn’t agree more. I have seen pupils become increasingly addicted. It might be Snapchat, TikTok, or video games.

Things are getting worse. It is becoming more and more challenging to get through a lesson without pupils constantly being distracted. But all teachers like to complain, right? Do I think we need to go back to Victorian inkwells and blackboards? Of course not. I’m not a Luddite. I think the Internet is wonderful. I love that I can find out random facts within seconds. I have, at the tips of my fingers, more information than any human in history. It truly is amazing.

The Internet is not the problem. It is the clash between the mental rigour necessary for education and the sugary rush of social media. Social media platforms like TikTok run complex algorithms specifically designed to keep viewers watching. This is not a secret. It’s business. It’s working. And it’s made Mark Zuckerberg a billionaire.

A teenager does not stand a chance against a team of skilled programmers in California. They won’t win against years of weaponised social psychology. The computer companies have been planning this for years; they had us in their web before we even knew we’d wandered in.

But what do teachers mean when we say mobile phones are “damaging”? The single biggest issue I face is pupils’ much-reduced attention spans. If something is challenging or a tad boring, they can opt out by taking a quick glance at their phone.

Pupils do this constantly: check their phone, do a bit of work, and then check again. This isn’t multitasking. Each time they switch from task to task their mind must figure out where they left off, and they lose the thread of what they were doing. Their attention is constantly fragmented. When a pupil feels uncomfortable, they reach for their comfort blanket.

Between classes, many choose to sit and play with their phones. Even those pupils who are talking often hold conversations while looking at their phone, barely aware of what’s around them. I think this is damaging their social skills and emotional intelligence. There is nothing small about small talk. Pupils should be learning how to empathise, listen and engage with their peers. These are life skills. As an awkward adult, I know.