It is not the first time that a complete ban on mobile phones has been put on the table in Great Britain. After all, this is why nine months ago there was a new government directive that gave each school the power to take the measures it wishes. But the issue has three branches – it is divided into those who want a complete ban, those who do not want it at all and of course there is also the branch of technology, which develops at a dizzying pace without particularly taking external factors into account.

Now, by extension, several people have a say in this problem. Initially, parents and children, schools and teachers and the government, which must find the ‘golden ratio’ in this great dilemma. That’s why Labor MP John McAllister said, “it’s time to start a national debate in the UK”.

What does the MP’s bill provide?

Tomorrow, Wednesday, in the House of Commons, MP Macalister, a former teacher himself, will raise the issue. According to him, his bill, named ‘Safer phones bill’, aims to “protect children from the harm that can be caused by excessive screen time and social media use”.

Specifically, it has four objectives. First, the increase in the age limit for internet use from 13 years to 16. That is, those under 16 will need permission from a parent or legal guardian to use platforms such as TikTok or Instagram. Secondly, the complete ban on mobile phones in schools. Third, to give more power to the telecoms regulator ‘Ofcom’ to prevent children from being exposed to addictive apps. Fourth, the government should change the way mobiles are marketed to children and ensure that companies take children’s welfare into account as a matter of principle.

The British MP is not alone in this effort. Experts from the education sector and trade unions have pushed in this direction, with General Secretary of the Association of School and College Heads, Pepe DiLasio, to state that “it is not enough to rely solely on parents and schools to teach children about the dangers of modern mobile phones”.

In fact, according to the latest research conducted on teenagers, in order to understand how they react to the ban on mobile phones, although at first it seemed inconceivable to them, many of them now say that they communicate better with their classmates and that the stress on them since they stay away from the “drama of social media”, as a student told the BBC.

The attitude of the government and the opposing views

It is not new that many oppose such… universal decisions. Many argue that mobile phones are useful for children’s development and may also help them socialize. The government, counting both sides, seems to want to maintain a more moderate stance.

According to the BBC, a government spokesman said that “legislating a blanket ban on mobile phones takes away the autonomy of school leaders, who know both their pupils and their community best”. At the same time he added that, “the Online Safety Act will introduce strong safeguards that children do not have access to harmful and age-inappropriate content”.

However, the issue seems like it will take some time until there is a final decision. As commented by the British media today, it is quite difficult to pass through the parliamentary process a bill that originates exclusively from a member of parliament – what in the UK is called a ‘private members’ bill’ – without the recommendation of the competent minister, but it is considered a great opportunity for MPs to highlight the seriousness of the issue.