Phoney problem?

Two hundred years ago, a miracle began. At that time just 12% of adults around the world could read and write. By 1950 it was 56%. Then the figure rose by 5 points every single decade until in 2015, 86% of adults globally were literateAble to read and write. .¹

But in the last decade, something astonishing has happened. Young people's reading abilities have come down across the board and across the world.

In the same time period, students' mental health plummeted. Loneliness, anxietyA feeling of unease or worry. It can be mild or very severe. and depressionLow mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months. are all at record highs.

And the problems are continuing down the line. Statistics suggest that people raised in this kind of environment are less ambitious and more risk-averse.² They are less likely to have a romantic partner and to move out of their parents' home.³

What is the culprit? More and more experts are pointing the finger at phones.

Young people who spend most of their time alone with a phone never have any incentive to take risks and learn from them, nor to develop their social skills.

As for literacy rates, many believe phones reduce our attention span, making it harder for us to focus on things like reading. In the UK just two in five young people report they enjoy reading for pleasure.⁴

That is why some think the only way of saving our youth is to do away with phones. Polling shows nearly two-thirds of Britons would ban sales of smartphones to under-16s.⁵

Others, however, think we cannot put the clock back. They say young people's lives are just too intertwined with phones. They do not only use them for messaging and social media, but for timers in school tasks, timetables, homework and medication reminders.

Instead, they argue, we need to find some way of adapting to a high-information future.

Still others are unconvinced that phones are to blame. They point out the last ten years have been a tumultuousDifficult and constantly changing. time.

Living standards have fallen dramatically. As of last year, 29% of all UK children were in poverty.⁶ Research shows that children without financial security suffer more from mental health issues and are less likely to be able to spend time reading.

And the pandemic affected many people's social and learning skills. It may take years to claw them back.

Can we turn back time?

Yes: Imposing phones on our children was a choice; withholding them can be too. Even if it causes temporary difficulties it is better in the long run to teach them to live independent lives.

No: Young people use phones for all kinds of reasons. A blanket ban simply cannot account for all the ways in which their lives would be affected. It is time to stop patronisingSpeaking or behaving towards someone in a way that seems friendly, but which shows an attitude of superiority. students.

Or... We might be barking up the wrong tree. Young people's mental health, willingness to take risks and learning skills will not improve if we get rid of phones but do not help them live happier lives.