A University of the Sunshine Coast expert in child development has called for the wider community to rethink screen-time following the Queensland Government decision to ban mobile phones and smartwatches from state schools in 2024.

“It's about time,” said UniSC Associate Professor of Education Michael Nagel in welcoming the government decision.

“I hope this might become part of a broader discussion around overall screen-time in schools."

Dr Nagel said the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, with 38 member countries) had documented a link between screens and internet use and academic outcomes.

“It may surprise many to know that the countries spending less time on screens and online get better academic outcomes in international testing," he said.

“There is also a growing body of evidence showing that screen-time is negatively impacting on many aspects of child and adolescent development and may even be altering the developing brain in ways that we do not yet understand.

“I suggest that screen-time in schools needs to be part of a community-negotiated approach to learning and living.”

Dr Nagel, who has authored more than a dozen books with titles such as It’s a girl thing, Oh boy! and Nurturing a healthy mind, has for years actively supported schools that banned phones and promoted such action.

“There isn't any educative reason to have a phone at school – and many reasons not to,” he said.

“First, they are a major distraction and far too difficult for teachers to manage during the day-to-day rigour of school endeavour.

“Second, phones are major tools for bullies. Cyber bullying is a huge challenge and eliminating the opportunity to bully with a phone during the school day is a positive.

“Smartphones are also perfect tools for ‘relational aggression’ or what I refer to as ‘aggression in pink’ whereby girls can engage in name-calling, gossip, rumour-spreading, shaming, taunting and even ignoring from a distance. It is nothing new but phones have added a new dimension.

"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, banning phones means students will engage in real time with one another more regularly.

“The correlation between phone use and diminishing social skills in children and teens is prolific. The more a young person spends time on a phone, the less time they spend honing emotional and relational skill sets.

“Some might think phones are necessary for child safety but even that is highly debatable, given data suggesting that children are safer than any previous generation.

“It can be comforting to parents knowing their children have a mechanism for contacting them, but that is only necessary before and after school.

“Parents and students should remember that schools have admin offices and those offices have phones.”