Eton College Bans Smartphones for Year 9 Students

Eton College announced that Year 9 students starting in September will be prohibited from bringing smartphones to school. They will be given Nokia “brick” phones instead.

The private male boarding school, once attended by Prince William and Harry, said 13-year-old students will be required to transfer their sim cards to Nokia “bricks” that only allow calling and texting. They must send their smartphones home.

Students will also receive iPads “to support academic studies,” and “[a]ge-appropriate controls [will] remain in place for other year groups,” an Eton spokesman said.

When used responsibly and in moderation, [smartphones] can be a key part of life for the modern teenager and can create positive social networks and give access to news and views from around the world. However, despite these positives, there are also associated challenges and potential areas for concern, especially around socialization, misuse and overuse and the impact on both mental and physical health.
—Mike Grenier, Eton College deputy head of pastoral care

Addiction: Studies have proved that smartphone use leads to depression and academic decline in teenagers. Eton College is just one of a few schools trying to combat this.

Learn more: Read “How to Crush Screen Addiction.”