December 8th 2024.
Channel 4's new show, Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones, has captured the attention of viewers with its groundbreaking social experiment. The premise is simple - students at Stanway School in Essex have agreed to give up their phones for a full three weeks. No Snapstreaks, no Whatsapp messages, and no TikTok videos. 12-year-old Liana, one of the participants, admits that her phone is one of her main priorities, but she's willing to see what life is like without it.
As the students put their phones in a locked box, the reality of the experiment begins to set in. "I've just put my life in there, it's completely gone," says Harry, an 11-year-old student. The Year 8 students quickly realize that they will have to find other ways to entertain themselves without the quick-hit dopamine buzz they usually get from their phones. One student even admits that he had to resort to reading a book, something he never would have done otherwise.
In solidarity with the Stanway School children, TV presenters Emma and Matt Willis also give up their devices for 21 days. Emma, who attended the National Television Awards just hours after giving up her phone, describes feeling isolated and like she's not in control of her own life anymore. Matt, who has struggled with drug addiction in the past, compares his phone use to an addiction. "When I'm without it, I crave it. When I'm not on it, I think about it," he says.
The consequences of this phone-free experiment are explored further in the show's second episode. One student struggles to go to bed without his usual online comforts, while another is seen aimlessly hitting grass with a stick. Things reach a boiling point when one student admits that he feels "traumatized" by the loss of his device.
But the experiment also highlights the dangers of online content for young people. 12-year-old Jessica recalls how she was overjoyed to make a new friend on TikTok, only to realize that the stranger was asking inappropriate questions and eventually created a hate page about her. Jessica, who admits to feeling "stupid" for being taken advantage of, explains, "One time I was on a Facetime call and the screen went black. In the reflection, I saw someone holding a phone who definitely wasn't an 11-year-old girl. I suspect it was a man."
In another sobering moment, Matt and Emma meet with Jenna, a mother who lost her 13-year-old son to suicide after he viewed extreme content online. Jenna shares that her son became obsessed with the concept of suicide after watching a disturbing video on YouTube. The show also highlights the alarming statistic that frequent social media use increases a child's risk of depression by 27%.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, a doctor who appears on the show, warns that we are "sleepwalking into a mental health crisis" when it comes to children and technology. He stresses the importance of understanding which aspects of technology are healthy and which ones are harmful, and how it can impact a child's physical and mental well-being.
The experiment at Stanway School was closely monitored by researchers from the University of York, who noted some interesting changes in the students' behavior. After 21 days without their phones, the students reported sleeping an extra hour each night. Professor Lisa Henderson, one of the researchers, describes the experiment as a "first-of-its-kind" and emphasizes the need to think critically about our relationship with technology.
So, could you go 21 days without your phone? As the students at Stanway School have shown, it's not an easy feat, but it may be worth considering the impact our devices have on our lives and the lives of those around us.
The new Channel 4 show, Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones, has sparked conversation and curiosity as it delves into a unique social experiment. The show follows a group of 25 students from Stanway School in Essex as they take on the challenge of giving up their phones for 21 days. Alongside the students, TV presenters Emma and Matt Willis also participate in the experiment, leaving their own devices behind.
At the beginning of the school year, 12-year-old Liana bravely agreed to go without her phone for the duration of the experiment. This meant no more Snapstreaks, Whatsapp messages, or TikTok videos for three whole weeks. Liana admitted that her phone was one of her main priorities, but she was willing to see what life would be like without it. She did, however, express concern about missing out on the latest trends and potentially losing friends if she was deemed "boring" without her phone.
As the students handed over their phones and locked them away in a box, they were initially agitated and felt lost without their devices. One student even dramatically exclaimed, "I've just put my life in there, it's completely gone." It was clear that these students were used to the quick-hit dopamine buzz that comes with checking their phones. Without it, they were forced to find other forms of entertainment, such as reading a book or aimlessly hitting grass with a stick.
In solidarity with the students, Emma and Matt also gave up their phones. Emma even attended the National Television Awards just hours after going without her device, feeling isolated and out of control without it. The experiment proved challenging for Matt as well, as he compared his phone use to his past struggles with drug addiction. He realized that he was, in fact, addicted to his phone and craved it when he didn't have it.
The show also sheds light on the dark side of social media and the internet, as it follows 12-year-old Jessica's experience with a stranger on TikTok. Jessica was excited to make a new friend, but things took a turn when the stranger began asking personal and inappropriate questions. When Jessica pulled away from the friendship, the stranger created a hate page about her on TikTok. Jessica admitted to feeling stupid for falling for the stranger's tricks and was grateful for a hug from Emma.
Matt and Emma also meet with Jenna, a mother who lost her 13-year-old son to suicide after he viewed extreme content online. Jenna shares her son's obsession with the concept of suicide and how it was fueled by content he found online. Shockingly, frequent social media use has been found to increase a child's risk of depression by 27%.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, who appears on the show with Matt and Emma, warns about the harmful effects of excessive phone use on both mental and physical health. He believes that society is collectively failing our children and that we need to reevaluate which aspects of technology are healthy and which ones are harmful. The experiment at Stanway School was monitored by researchers from the University of York, who noted that the students reported an extra hour of sleep each night after going without their phones for 21 days.
The social experiment carried out at Stanway School was a first-of-its-kind and has sparked the question: could you go 21 days without your phone? It's a thought-provoking and eye-opening show that highlights the impact of technology on our lives and the importance of finding a healthy balance.
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