Screen Time, Sleep and Social Media: Time to Act
"Much has been discussed and debated recently about the use of social media by under 16s. The Government seems to be slowly waking up to the realisation that something must be done, and that we've failed our kids over the last ten years plus in this specific respect. Teachers and leaders in the Sherborne Schools Group have known this for some time and we have been fighting a battle to keep our children as children for as long as possible, and give them all the many rich experiences they need to prepare for the wider world. Rarely, if ever, do these wonderful and enriching experiences happen online. Never do they happen through accessing or engaging with social media alone in their room or House. Never.
We've seen the social media ban in Australia and smart phones banned in Finland and elsewhere. This is only going in one direction. We need the Government to regulate, and impose material fines on social media companies; without that, it is too hard for parents and schools to make significant progress in this battle. We can and do limit access to phones here at Sherborne Boys and the pupils are so busy during the day that this isn't generally an issue; however, at some point usually in the evening pupils will be on their phones for a short period in their own time and at that point, with VPNs, 4G and 5G, controlling what they are accessing and how long they are doomscrolling for becomes harder. And this should be terrifying. And should be sufficient reason for our country's leaders to do something about it, because not all children have the structure, pastoral care and enriching environment our pupils are fortunate enough to have. Left to their own devices, facing algorithms designed to snare them, young people don't stand a chance.
It is tough to say this, but there is currently an unfortunate combination of factors, which have the potential to produce unhappy, dissatisfied and depressed teenagers, of which social media is just one. Whilst social media use in itself might be unhealthy, it is also linked to screentime, which has increased exponentially since Covid and is now, at many schools, the norm in terms of teaching. The Sherborne Schools Group is on the front foot here; we are currently running a study on pupils' screentime - the advantages of a boarding school being we have a captive scientific testing community available and interested in finding out more. And screentime, as we all know, links to sleep or the lack of it, and so we are studying that as well, in a long-term action research programme, which will then inform our practices. Alongside social media, screentime and sleep, we know that food and nutrition is another hugely important factor affecting teenagers' lives. If we get nutrition right, pupils are better able to be attentive in lessons, their brains recalling and remembering more efficiently, nourished to perform. They will have energy for all their many activities, which we offer through the whole day and into the evening. We are a boarding school with day pupils and our day pupils enjoy almost all of the same benefits as our boarders - this gives them access to all the research, programme of activities and opportunities. If we can get sleep, screen use and social media access right alongside nutrition, then we will have happier, healthier, more engaged and more confident young people. Guaranteed. The advantages of the Sherborne Schools Group is that we are at the leading edge of this and many other areas (Artificial Intelligence for example, which is a topic for another day), so if you want to come and see us and explore our latest innovative approach, please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you."
simon heard, headmaster
