I had a conversation with a primary school principal recently, who told me about a kid whose phone was confiscated for disobeying the school policy on devices.
“This kid, in any other area, is incredibly well-behaved and attentive”, she said. “But when we took the phone away, it was clear withdrawal behaviour”.
This is not an isolated incident. I’m constantly hearing from school leaders the amount of time and energy evaporating from their day in managing devices and related incidents –there are even reports of toddlers being dropped off to day care centres displaying withdrawal symptoms (Haidt, 2025).
So what could you expect if you implemented a full-day ban on phones in schools? And how do you navigate this? Below are some strategies that I’ve found useful through my research in this field and experience in helping thousands of people through addiction recovery.
1. Things will get worse before they get better
I remind participants in SMART Recovery that their sleep, mood and emotional regulation in the first couple of weeks will likely get worse before it gets better (Lembke, 2021). This is withdrawal, this is normal and it will pass. The same is true for any addictive behaviour – whether substance use disorder, pornography, or smartphone addiction.
As a school leader, you can help students, families and staff navigate this by giving them a heads-up beforehand – there is nothing more disorienting than making positive changes yet feeling things are getting worse.
2. There may be resistance from parents
No surprises here. The parents bought the phone, and maybe paired it with the paranoia that the real world is a scary place that needs buffering with 24/7 access to their kid.
Education on the impact of devices, and the evidence that constant monitoring harms rather than helps, can build parent support. Meanwhile, sharing school procedures around emergencies and contact numbers can alleviate distress.
And lastly, remember the tide has shifted – whereas a few years ago a majority of parents supported their kid’s right to access to a smartphone in school, a majority now support schools banning phones entirely (HMD, 2024).
3. There may be resistance from students
Again, no surprises here. Remind them: this is not about restriction – it’s about liberation. In addiction recovery, simply avoiding a particular behaviour is not a sustainable goal – there needs to be a healthy and enjoyable replacement for it to stick. A useful way to show this is to ask students for their own suggestions for extra-curricular activities.
Also, demonstrate the “why” – some young people (especially those with ADHD who need this ban the most) will not follow rules they do not understand. Show them evidence and case studies of how removing devices helps.
4. There may be resistance from staff
This can be seen as yet another task on the to-do list, and considering the time spent policing phone bans in some schools, it’s a fair concern. Centralised storage systems - such as home room collection, or Yondr pouches which remained locked throughout the day - can reduce the workload.
There will likely be less pushback here if the benefits are clearly explained as well – less phone distraction, better classroom management and overall engagement.
The evidence is undeniable – phone-free schools are the best way forward. It may be challenging, but hard decisions now mean a healthier school later.
Written by Nick Kenny. First published on LinkedIn.