Forum Bildung Digitalisierung: Orientation paper on the cell phone ban debate

Contents

Once a good scapegoat has been found, it can be slaughtered again and again in the media. It can be used to demonstrate attitude and the will to shape things, even if any further action does not actually follow the ritual slaughter3. In recent months, the debate on smartphone use in schools has been conducted partly seriously, but also partly performatively. Among other things, it has sometimes been pretended that educational institutions have not yet introduced any rules on the use of mobile devices, although some did so years ago.

For this reason, the Forum Bildung Digitalisierung is now also speaking out. It wants to “contribute to an objectification of the sometimes charged debate”. To this end, the forum has published an orientation paper that outlines the current legal situation in Germany's federal education system depending on the federal state and what scientific findings are actually available on the use of digital devices. The legal situation in Germany is also categorized with an international comparison.

Avoiding complexity

Ralph Müller-Eiselt, Chairman of the Forum Bildung Digitalisierung, warns in the orientation paper that the “smartphone debate” could lead to a “general slowdown” in digital school and teaching development. It is essential to continue this so that all pupils are prepared for a “self-determined life in the culture of digitality”. This is the only way they can learn to “deal confidently with new technologies such as AI and the associated opportunities and risks”. Teaching media skills is also “the best way to combat cyberbullying, digital disinformation and social media addiction”. Clear rules for private smartphone use are important, but several objectives need to be reconciled. The main question is therefore how best to promote digital school development, teach media skills, and at the same time enable disruption-free lessons. The answer to this is “more complex than a smartphone ban.”

The paper traces the course of the current debates, but also provides an insight into the debates of the past decades, since the development of cell phones, which became affordable for society at large. It also lists and comments on (alleged) research findings on the effects of smartphone use or a smartphone ban in schools. The scoping review “Evidence for and against banning mobile phones in schools” from 2024, for example, offers an initial insight. It is based on 22 individual studies from twelve countries. In particular, it assessed the extent to which a smartphone ban affects the learning process and the well-being of pupils. The main finding was: “The results so far are inconclusive, further evaluations are needed.”

The OECD also recently stated in its report on children's well-being in the digital age that the study situation is not yet clear and that more robust studies are needed to be able to make evidence-based statements on the influences of certain digital offerings. This also remains the tenor of the statements in the orientation paper.

Perceived and proven correlations

Prof. Dr. Katharina Scheiter, Professor of Digital Education at the University of Potsdam, comments accordingly: “A look at the studies shows that the evidence for comprehensive smartphone bans is ambiguous. It does seem plausible that smartphones can promote distractibility and reduce concentration. However, restricting their use neither reduces disruptions to lessons nor improves performance. Furthermore, limiting use during school hours neither influences the duration of extracurricular use nor problematic social media usage behavior. Effects on the psychological well-being of students have also not been demonstrated in the few meaningful studies. In general, the relationships between the duration of media use and psychological well-being are complex. Causally interpretable relationships run in both directions: For example, intensive media use has small, negative effects on well-being – at least among young people. At the same time, however, a low level of well-being also leads to increased media use. Therefore, simple correlations between media use and psychological well-being from one-off data collections, as reported in the majority of studies, cannot be clearly interpreted as causal. Rather, longitudinal studies are needed in which the temporal progression and correlations between media use and well-being can be tracked in both directions.”

Scheiter emphasizes the role of parents in healthy media use, as private smartphone use exceeds that in schools. Rules in schools are nevertheless important, but should be developed in a participatory manner, as these would probably be better accepted. Legal regulations could restrict school communities in their self-organization. She considers accompanying measures to be necessary instead of just setting rules. For example, children and young people should be offered attractive alternative activities during the school day. In addition to a more extensive range of activities during breaks, this could also include media education projects that encourage reflection on their own media consumption.

Initiatives by the federal states – nationally and internationally

The Forum Digitalisierung Bildung lists how the German federal states are dealing with the issue, but also visualizes the situation. The current debates have increased the pressure on the federal states to act, but there are still major differences in the measures taken or planned to date. Internationally, the situation is just as inconsistent. The focus is on the European and global level.

According to the forum, it is important for German schools to obtain legal certainty to be able to organize and control the use of smartphones in everyday school life appropriately. It can be regulated at various levels: by the school law, a legal ordinance or the house rules of the individual school. School laws and ordinances apply nationwide, while house rules are agreed independently by the schools with pupils and parents.

However, some restrictions must currently be observed: Devices can only be “confiscated” from schools for a short period of time. Permanent confiscation is an infringement of pupils' property rights and is not permitted. Fundamental rights would also be violated if teachers had to or did search school bags for mobile devices or content on the devices. Furthermore, a general ban on private smartphones for adolescents could violate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: Article 17 guarantees children and young people the right to access information and digital media; in other words, digital participation.

Attached are also recommendations for action that were developed by young people on the topic, as the Forum Education Digitalization also criticizes the lack of involvement of adolescents in the debate. For their part, they are calling for a say, explaining that schools need a media concept and that both pupils and teachers should be able to acquire more media skills. They also argue for age-appropriate solutions and dedicated cell phone zones on school grounds. And the young people also say that once rules have been established, consistent action is important. Teachers should no longer look the other way if these are not adhered to. However, the rules should also be clearly understandable and not too complicated.

About the Forum Bildung Digitalisierung

The Forum Bildung Digitalisierung is committed to the digital transformation of the school system. It is a non-profit association in which ten German foundations are currently involved: Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Dieter Schwarz Stiftung, Dieter von Holtzbrinck Stiftung, Heraeus Bildungsstiftung, Joachim Herz Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Siemens Stiftung, Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland and Wübben Stiftung Bildung.

(kbe)