To ban or not to ban: How do students feel about the new phone ban in the Netherlands?

Abstract

Since the beginning of 2024, a phone ban has been issued at both primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands because phones are believed to be distracting and lead to worse academic performance. In general, two bans exist: a complete phone ban where phones are completely prohibited at school and a partial ban where phones are only prohibited in classrooms but not during breaks. This cross-sectional study researched the question: Is there an association between the type of phone ban, comparing a complete phone ban to a partial phone ban, and the attitude students have towards this ban amongst Dutch youth, and is this relationship different for students with and without social anxiety? The data for this study were derived from the Digital Youth and Identity Project of Utrecht University. The final sample consisted of 774 students from the first and second year of secondary education, where 40% was male and 60% female with an average age of 13 years old. Findings suggest that in the school with a complete ban, students have a more positive attitude towards the phone ban than in the school with a partial ban. The relationship between the type of smartphone ban and negative beliefs about the phone ban seem to depend upon students’ degree of social anxiety. More specifically, in the school with a complete ban, students who experience social anxiety hold more negative beliefs regarding the ban than those in schools with a partial ban. However, among students who do not experience social anxiety, the partial ban is viewed more negatively. The results have implications for policymakers and teachers regarding what is important when implementing a phone ban, such as individual factors (attitudes and social anxiety) that may play a role in whether youth are likely to comply to such a policy.