The study shows that 88 percent of the parents surveyed support a mobile phone ban in the classroom. That is 27 percent more than before the ban was introduced. According to the parents, their children are also increasingly in favor of a ban in the classroom. Fifty-three percent said they supported it, compared with 45 percent in 2024. More and more parents also support a ban throughout the entire school: 56 percent, compared with 36 percent before the ban came into effect. In 2024, only 17 percent of children supported a ban at school. In 2025, that group had grown to 28 percent.
More and more children and young people also support a ban on social media. Research by UNICEF among 1,000 children and young people shows that 69 percent support such a ban. They mainly consider social media addictive, unsafe, and harmful. Social media also have a negative impact on their mental well-being. What children and young people like most about using social media is that it allows them to stay in touch with friends, often makes them laugh, and helps combat boredom. What they like least are advertisements and the fact that they keep scrolling for too long. As a result, 57 percent of children and young people believe that the government should introduce rules to prevent endless scrolling.
Social media as a living environment
“It is not surprising that more and more children and young people support the mobile phone ban,” says Vivian den Blanken of the NJi. “They themselves are increasingly noticing that, as individuals, they cannot compete with the addictive elements of social media. This is causing the need for rules and boundaries to grow.”
“More regulation of social media to protect children and young people is of course a positive development. At the same time, it is important that these digital environments are designed to be child-friendly, so that children and young people can safely explore, experiment, and develop themselves there. Social media also have benefits. They meet friends there, can express themselves, and discover new things. You can therefore view social media as a living environment, just like home or school. Depending on the context, such an environment can also be harmful. But if a system is designed to be child-friendly, children and young people can enjoy its benefits in a safer way.”
Involve children and young people in policymaking
Previous research shows that young people and children have been involved relatively little in regulations concerning phone use at school. According to Den Blanken, however, UNICEF’s research shows precisely how well they can contribute to discussions about what they need. “That is why it is good for schools to involve children and young people in policies concerning smartphones. For example, in the discussion about whether mobile phones should also be banned outside the classroom. When children and young people are able to contribute to such discussions, they are also more likely to accept and comply with the rules.”