Channel 4 orders 2-part special, Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones with Matt & Emma Willis

[Date Published: September 10, 2024] — Channel 4 has commissioned Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones, a landmark two-part documentary series, produced by BOLDPRINT Studios, which will tackle the timely issue of the impact of smartphones on children’s behaviour with a pioneering social experiment.

The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. 50% of all 9-year-olds in the UK own a smartphone[1] with 43% of UK teens using their smartphones during school lessons[2]. Alarmingly, frequent social media use has been found to increase a child’s risk of depression by 27%[3] and a recent Education Select Committee report revealed that one in four children now use their phones in a manner resembling behavioural addiction[4]. Even more concerning, half of children have accessed violent pornography on a screen by the age of 13[5] and 21% of 9 – 12-year-olds agree that it is normal for children their age to share nude or semi-nude images online[6].

Hosts Matt and Emma Willis will join forces with The Stanway School in Colchester and challenge a group of Year 8 pupils – and themselves – to give up their smartphones completely for 21 days. This experiment, conducted in conjunction with The University of York, will see the pupils undergo a series of tests with experts meticulously monitoring their behavioural changes over the 21 days, repeating the tests at the end of the three weeks to conclude what effects giving up your phone really does have on your brain including sleep and attention.

The tests will include a series of cognitive tasks, testing attention, reaction times and memory. They will also participate in questionnaires covering sleep, anxiety, depression, mood, stress, loneliness, enjoyment and social connectedness.

Alongside Dr Rangan Chatterjee, – medical doctor, author, television presenter and podcaster – they will meet other experts, scientists, campaigners and politicians to uncover the deep-rooted effects of smartphone use.

At the end of the experiment, how will the group’s relationship with their smartphones change and could the findings be the catalyst for the Government to enact a select committee suggested nationwide ban on smartphones for children under 14 or 16?

Emma and Matt Willis say: “Our lives these days revolve around our smartphones, and the thought of three weeks without them is quite honestly daunting, yet fascinating. The statistics on children’s smartphone use are beyond worrying so the time feels absolutely right for the issue to be addressed. We’re intrigued by the results of the experiment and hope it can spark change and have a lasting and positive impact on everyone.”

Phil Harris, CEO and Founder of BOLDPRINT Studios says: “As a parent, the effect of smartphone use and screen time on our kids is something we’ve wrestled with – and it’s not just the impact on kids and teens. We all live through our smartphones so this topic needs urgent attention. We are hugely grateful to The University of York and The Stanway School for undertaking this ambitious and hopefully change-making experiment, and to Matt and Emma, who as presenters, parents and participants will sensitively document the pupils’ very personal journeys – as well as their own – as they go completely smartphone-free for three weeks.”

Louisa Compton, Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport at Channel 4 adds: “The decision on when to give a child a smartphone is something every parent agonises over, and this bold and timely exploration will blow that debate wide open and potentially lead to more parents waiting for their kids to reach a greater level of maturity before handing over a smartphone. With so many children and teenagers increasingly tethered to their screens, it’s crucial we understand the impact that digital noise, constant connectivity, and peer pressure on social media platforms is having on young minds. We hope this experiment will spark a broader debate about the role of technology in our children’s lives and potentially inspire new approaches to digital wellbeing in schools across the country.”

Professor Lisa Henderson & Dr Emma Sullivan, lead researchers from the Sleep Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of York: “The extreme total ban approach we are taking in this first-of-its kind experiment will allow us to reveal what giving up a smartphone does to young peoples’ wellbeing, how it affects their sleep, their cognitive abilities and the alertness of their brains. Studies that can address causality are a critical piece of the puzzle that we need to better understand the psychological costs and benefits of smartphones, so we can protect our young people, empower parents to create safe worlds for their children, and be in a stronger position to campaign for the appropriate safeguards and legislation to be put in place.”

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee said: “The increasing use of technology has insidiously crept into every part of our children’s lives, including their school life. Everyone – parents, teachers, schools etc, want what is best for our children, but, as a society, I really feel we have allowed technology to infiltrate our children’s lives without proper thought. I think this is likely to have major negative consequences for children and society at large. For me, this is one of the most urgent societal issues of our time. And this experiment is critically important to kick-start a national conversation about what is actually appropriate and helpful for our children. We need to know which aspects of technology use can help our children and which aspects are in fact harming them.”

ENDS

Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones is a 2 x 60 series commission for Channel 4 by Louisa Compton, Head of News and Current Affairs, Sport and Specialist Factual. It is Executive Produced for BOLDPRINT Studios by Phil Harris, Lou Hutchinson and Naomi Gayler. The Production Manager is Louise Fender.

[1] Parliament UK

[2] Mobile Phones in schools

[3] Centre for Longitudinal studies

[4] UK Parliament

[5] Children’s commissioner

[6] SGCSAM – Attitudes and experiences