SMART Schools
SMART Schools: Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental wellbeing: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use
1 in 7 adolescents (age 11-16) in the UK have a diagnosable mental health disorder. At the same time, most adolescents own a smartphone and many use social media.
Evidence suggests that smartphones and social media can be beneficial for mental wellbeing, but the benefits of smartphones and social media depend on how they are used.
This research aimed to establish which types of school phone policies are most supportive of pupil mental wellbeing.
What were the study's main activities?
- This study took take place in 30 secondary schools, with year 8 and year 10 pupils.
- Researchers compared pupil mental wellbeing in schools that restrict phone use, with schools that permit phone use (e.g. allow phones to be used at breaks and lunchtimes).
- Researchers measured behaviours associated with mental wellbeing, such as, physical activity, sleep, attainment and classroom behaviour.
- To collect this data, pupils completed a 30 minute online survey and wore an activity monitor watch for 7 days.
- The class teacher and a member of the senior leadership team completed a 30 minute online survey.
- In some schools, 60 minute focus groups with pupils, school staff and parents/carers took place.
Meet the team
Meet the team
Dr Victoria Goodyear
Victoria is a pedagogical researcher in sport, physical activity and health. Her main research area focuses on social media/digital technologies and young people’s health and wellbeing
Dr Amie Randhawa
Amie is a researcher in adolescent health and wellbeing. She is interested in young peoples’ use of smartphones and social media.
Professor Miranda Pallan
Miranda’s research mainly focuses on the health of children and adolescents.
Professor Peymané Adab
Peymané is a public health physician and Professor of Chronic Disease Epidemiology & Public Health
Dr Maria Michail
Dr Michail is a leading expert in the field of self-harm and suicide prevention.
Professor Hareth Al-Janabi
Hareth is a Professor of Health Economics, with a track record of innovation in health economics.
Dr Sally A. M. Fenton
Dr. Sally Fenton is an Associate Professor in Lifestyle Behaviour Change. Her research is focused on the development, delivery and evaluation of theory-based interventions to promote physical activity, with a emphasis on clinical populations.
Dr Alice Sitch
Alice Sitch is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics and leads the Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis, Test Evaluation and prediction Models (BESTEAM) research group.
External Collaborators
- Dr Paul Patterson, Digital Engagement and Public Health Lead, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust: paul.patterson2@nhs.net
- Dr Matthew Wade, Head of Research, ukactive, matthewwade@ukactive.org.uk
- Ms Kirsty Jones, Head of School, Services for Education, kirsty.jones@servicesforeducation.co.uk
- Mr Gareth Evans, Head of Curriculum, Ninestiles School An Academy: gareth.evans@ninestiles.org.uk
Publications and media
Publications and media
Some of the publications and media that have come out of the SMART Schools project.
Papers
Victoria A. Goodyear, Amie Randhawa, Péymane Adab, Hareth Al-Janabi, Sally Fenton, Kirsty Jones, Maria Michail, Breanna Morrison, Paul Patterson, Jonathan Quinlan, Alice Sitch, Rebecca Twardochleb, Matthew Wade, Miranda Pallan (2025): School phone policies and their association with mental wellbeing, phone use, and social media use (SMART Schools): a cross-sectional observational study, The Lancet Regional Health Europe
Amie Randhawa, Miranda Pallan, Rebecca Twardochleb, Peymane Adab, Hareth Al-Janabi, Sally Fenton, Kirsty Jones, Maria Michail, Paul Patterson, Alice Sitch, Matthew Wade & Victoria A. Goodyear (2024): Secondary school smartphone policies in England: a descriptive analysis of how schools rationalize, design, and implement restrictive and permissive phone policies, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2024.2363204.
Randhawa A, Wood G, Michail M, Pallan M, Patterson P, Goodyear V. Safeguarding in adolescent mental health research: navigating dilemmas and developing procedures. BMJ open. 2024 Feb 1;14(2):e076700. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076700.
Wood G, Goodyear V, Adab P, Al-Janabi H, Fenton S, Jones K, Michail M, Morrison B, Patterson P, Sitch AJ, Wade M, Pallan M. Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental well-being: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use-protocol for a natural experimental observational study using mixed methods at secondary schools in England (SMART Schools Study). BMJ Open. 2023 Jul 5;13(7):e075832. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075832.
Blogs
- At what age does a smartphone feature on the 'back to school' list?
- A global ban on smartphones. Do we need more evidence?
- Putting phones in lockup is the new trend for managing student smartphone use in schools.
- Not seen not heard. Do we need longer term solutions for mobile phones in secondary schools?
Newsletter
SMART Schools study newsletter, February 2025 (PDF)
Podcast
Get in touch
For further information about this project email pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk or call 0121 414 2772.
Follow us on Twitter @SMART_SchStudy
News and blogs
This project is funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme (NIHR131396). The views expressed are those of the project investigators and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
This project is funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme (NIHR131396). The views expressed are those of the project investigators and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.