Summarised by Centrist
A Norwegian research paper has found only positive impacts from implementing school phone bans – from improved academic results to better mental health.
Is anyone really surprised?
The study, focusing mainly on data from 2010 to 2018, was conducted by Sara Abrahamsson from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Stricter smartphone policies led to greater improvements, particularly among female students from low socio-economic backgrounds, finds Abrahamsson.
Key results were: a 60% decrease in the need for counselling for female students, less bullying for both genders, improved GPA and performance in maths tests for girls, and better overall academic performance.
Abrahamsson concludes that banning smartphones from schools could be a cost-effective measure to better student outcomes.
