The background to this eminently reasonable question is in the article linked to below: under new rules in place from Sept Department for Education will mandate all reception kids- i.e. 4 year olds - to sit the reception baseline assessment on iPADs. The Minister's dismissal was wrong,

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Must read thread 👇

Parents and teachers need the support of regulation to mitigate the harm social media and smartphones are causing to children’s brains. Spot on from Katharine Birbalsingh

Two incredible advocates 👏

In my clinic, I see the impact of children having access to smartphones from a young age: delayed language skills, poor attention & limited social skills. This affects later academic achievement, mental health & future life chances. Smartphones don’t belong in tiny hands.

Indeed. Education Committee reported in 2024 that the negative impacts of screentime are well documented & the overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that the harms of screen-time & social media significantly outweigh the benefits for young children. What is Government waiting for?

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Smartphones are an obvious disaster. Children are not effectively learning, interacting or speaking AND they are experience blockers. It’s hard to believe there is a single upside. A powerful film. Let’s, at the very least, get smartphones properly out of schools.

Powerful stories from young people on the impact of social media & smartphones. The Online Safety Act won’t protect children from addictive, experience blocking outcomes, body image issues, impact on sleep. Are we really going to keep doing this to kids? theguardian.com/society/2025/j…

This is more evidence to support the idea that schools should restrict/ ban smartphones. Smartphone bans in Dutch schools have improved learning, study finds in Netherlands theguardian.com/world/2025/jul…

Absolutely spot on from Laura Trott MP “If we ease teachers’ workloads by embracing this technology without caution, we risk crushing critical thinking underfoot.”

Completely endorse this. No child under 14 should have their own smartphone. They’re *designed* to be compulsive. Adults can barely put them down. They rob children of being present. Monmouthshire teachers urge smartphone ban for children under 14 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Well done, Portugal. Labour are sitting on their hands while more countries act to get phones out of classrooms.Fewer distractions, more real conversations, less bullying & a drop in poor behaviour prove why phones have no place in schools. We must act now shorturl.at/JL43y

Study shows owning a smartphone before 13 is linked with poorer mental health. Calls for policy approach to mirror PH models regulating tobacco & alcohol “evidence is strongest in U13s, with growing evidence for extending protective measures to ages 14–18” eurekalert.org/news-releases/…

Is a two hour per app limit really going to stop kids doom scrolling or is it just another example of how we are tiptoeing around the commercial interests of big tech rather than prioritising children’s interests? news.sky.com/story/two-hour…

More delay tactics. This won’t do enough to protect children from social media & smartphones. It’s simple: get phones out of the classroom & children off social media. There are amendments going through Parliament now which make this happen. Labour are choosing not to act.

Our children can’t wait 👇

Peter Kyle apologises to kids who lived in the online smartphone era. He does know that this is ongoing harm that is still happening right now to yet another generation of children doesn’t he? telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/2…

An excellent thread 👇