Schools in England have banned smartphones and all other digital gadgets during school hours, as worries about the detrimental impact of cellphones on youth welfare are growing.

In accordance with a survey conducted on behalf of Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, 90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of elementary schools have introduced some kind of mobile phone ban.

The results show a clear change in school administrators' stance to restrict pupils' use of smartphones in class.

A statutory ban would alleviate the burden on parents, teachers, and school administrators, according to Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU).

Kebede spoke about the "damaging impact" that smartphones have on kids, especially when it comes to exposing them to dangers that can occur online.

"On their mobile phone, the typical 12-year-old has access to the most extreme pornography," he stated. "That is extremely harmful to young boys' well-being and how they view women and girls, sex, and relationships."

Motions calling for more regulation of social media platforms, especially with regard to dangerous content like sexual violence and threats against women, will be discussed by the NEU at its annual conference next week.

Kebede also called for "a complete social media ban for under-16s," likening the effects of Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok on young people's mental health to those of tobacco firms.