MOBILE PHONES AND STUDENT WELLBEING
👨👩👧 For Parents and Carers – Newsletter Series, Part 2
In this second article of our series on mobile phones and social media, we explore how these technologies relate to student wellbeing.
Over recent years, we have observed a significant rise in student anxiety. Once rarely discussed, anxiety is now a concern frequently raised by parents, wellbeing staff, teachers, and the students themselves. While feeling anxious can be a normal response to stress, it becomes a problem when these feelings persist and interfere with daily life.
In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt charts a global rise in anxiety, noting a strong correlation between the introduction of smartphones and this increase in mental health concerns.
📲The Role of Social Media in Anxiety
Research shows that social apps fuel FOMO—the fear of missing out. This drives young people to continually check their phones for notifications and updates, ironically causing them to miss real-life opportunities to connect with friends and family.
At school, we’ve noticed some students declining opportunities that would require them to be away from their phones.
For older generations, magazines occasionally presented unrealistic beauty ideals. Today, social media delivers these images constantly, through infinite scrolling. Algorithms can also increase exposure to harmful content—such as extreme dieting or restrictive eating—especially if a young person engages with posts suggesting dissatisfaction with their body. These are often disguised under terms like wellness or health.
🏫Expert Recommendations
Many international academics support banning mobile phones in schools.
In Victoria, students are required to keep phones switched off and securely stored during the school day. This has always been the policy at LHS, and we are pleased to see the state following suit. This policy helps to:
✅Create a safe environment for learning
✅Increase face-to-face social interaction during recess and lunch
🌐Changes to Social Media Access
The Online Safety Act 2021 will require certain social media platforms to block accounts for children under 16 from December 2025. This is a valuable opportunity for families to review and set rules at home around device and social media use.
The eSafety Commissioner website offers advice on creating:
📋Family rules for technology use
📜Family technology agreements
🛡️Guidance on online safety
💬If You Feel It’s “Too Late”
If your child already has a smartphone or extensive social media access, Kara Alaimo, Professor and author, offers this advice:
“Simply telling your child that we now know more about the dangers of screen time means that your decision has changed.”
While putting this into practice can be challenging, it can open the door to healthier technology habits.
💡Final Takeaway
Experts widely agree:
The best thing you can do for your child is to delay giving them a smartphone and access to social media for as long as possible.
Together, we can help our students prioritise real-life connections, reduce anxiety, and grow up in a healthier digital environment.
📚 Sources & Further Reading
Academic Paper
Capraro, V. et al. A Consensus Statement on Potential Negative Impacts of Smartphone and Social Media Use on Adolescent Mental Health🔗 Read here
Books 📘
- Grose, Michael & Richardson, Jodi – Anxious Kids: How Children Can Turn Their Anxiety Into Resilience
- Haidt, Jonathan – The Anxious Generation📖 Copies of The Anxious Generation are available in our school library for families to borrow.
Websites
📵 Mobile Phones in Schools – Victoria
🛡️ eSafety Commissioner Website
Melissa McMillan
Assistant Principal