A Bristol-based charity is hoping to make the city the first in the UK where smartphones are banned from all classrooms.
The charity Papaya – Parents Against Phone Addiction in Young Adolescents – is calling on parents to delay giving their children smartphones until at least the age of 14. Campaigners believe this could significantly improve young people's mental health.
The organisation is working with more than 100 schools in Bristol and has secured commitments from 10 institutions to implement stricter policies.
Dr Susie Davies, founder of Papaya, said: "We want them to have a phone-free environment in schools so they concentrate on their learning, but also socialising in breaktime."
Papaya predicts that by the start of the next school term, a majority of Bristol's secondary schools could be signed up to their smartphone-free initiative.
Dr Davies, who is also a Bristol-based GP, said: "We want Bristol to be a smart phone-free city, where children don't get their first smart phone until they're 14."
Papaya is supporting schools to enforce phone-free environments through tools like Yondr pouches and lock boxes.
"It gives young people an extra two to three years of childhood," Dr Davies explained.
"Time to play, to enjoy each other's company, and to concentrate on learning and social development without the distraction of constant notifications."
