At ICHK we have been talking seriously about the negative impacts of digital technology for almost a decade. When these conversations started, they ran very counter to the accepted narrative around digital technology, which situated networked computers as a force for good. These tools, we were told, would be democratising, unleashing a new wave of learning, of creativity, of human compassion. Of course, there would be some side effects, but the net effect would be overwhelmingly positive.

Our counter-conversations stemmed from our observations of certain students, as well as reading and research: experiences which pointed to pervasive, problematic aspects of digital technology. Despite one or two strong voices in our corner, the jury remained very much out on the matter.

By 2018 we were confident enough in our position to rebuild our IT Policy. Our new approach took over a year to formulate, and its release in 2019 led to a palpable change in the vibe of our school. Without phones in hands, students were more sociable, more relaxed and more motivated to engage in the kinds of play that we know to be so important in childhood and adolescence.

During the intervening years we observed that the initial causes of concern have deepened, coming to impact more and more children. We have spent a lot of this time discussing smartphone free schools with other educators. We spoke at conferences, wrote articles and visited other schools. Our then Technology Director, Ross Parker, even published a book on the topic.

And, for a long time, nothing much outside ICHK seemed to change.

But, as is so often the case with human culture, a store of hidden momentum has suddenly burst into the open. All of a sudden the media is full of schools going smartphone free, of parents banding together to help their children experience childhood in-real-life, of governments rushing to pass legislation. And, research is piling up to back up our longitudinal in-school observations regarding the harms associated with smartphone use in childhood.

Recently, a USA-wide survey conducted by the National Education Association found that 83% of teachers support just the kind of school-wide policy that ICHK uses to prohibit device use throughout the school day.

This is clearly an idea whose time has arrived, and as we look at ICHK secondary students playing together during their lunch breaks, and working together in the classroom, we can see why.