The Nokia 3210Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
One of the U.K. ’s most elect schools has announced it will cast out smartphones utilise among its next intake of bookman . But so that they can bide connected , the students will be issued a run - of - the - John Stuart Mill Nokia French telephone open only of seduce calls and sending texts .
The new rule has been take by the $ 64,000 - a - year Eton College boys ’ boarding school over increasing care about the wallop of smartphone manipulation on younger the great unwashed ’s genial health and cosmopolitan well - being . It ’s also hoped that the ban will concentrate schoolroom distraction and improve behavior .
The Nokia 3210Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Eton College , locate in the town of Windsor just west of London , was found nigh 600 years ago and is famous for having turn out generation of political drawing card , including 20 of the country ’s meridian rector , Boris Johnson and David Cameron among them . Other notable alumni include Princes William and Harry , novelist George Orwell , James Bond creator Ian Fleming , and Oscar - gain actor Eddie Redmayne .
Starting this September , Eton College ’s new uptake of 13 - year - old students will be ban from using a smartphone at all times . Mike Grenier , Eton ’s surrogate brain , recently wrote to the parents of unexampled boarders to allow them know that the SIM from their small fry ’s smartphone will be transferred to a school - put out Nokia handset , the Standard reported . It ’s not absolved which specific Nokia handset they ’ll be getting , but it could be something like the recently released Nokia 3210 , which a Digital Trends ’ French telephone reviewer described as“the bad earphone I ’ve used in 2024 . ”
Nokia markets the 3210 with the tagline , “ No apps . No tussle . Take a break from scrolling and reconnect with what matters . ” It means the scholarly person will have to go without TikTok , Instagram , and Snapchat . But it does have Snake .
The school will also offer the usance of iPads for educational use .
“ When used responsibly and in moderation , [ smartphones ] can be a key part of life for the modern teenager and can create cocksure social networks and give accession to news and views from around the world , ” Grenier said . “ However , despite these positive , there are also associated challenge and potential areas for fear , especially around socialization , abuse , and overuse , and the impact on both mental and forcible health . ”
The school note that “ geezerhood - appropriate controller remain in place for other twelvemonth group . ”
Eton ’s smartphone ban comes as the U.K. ’s recently elected Labour government say it was “ open - minded ” on the idea of banning social media for children to protect their genial health .
inquiry by Common Sense Media witness that about 91 % of children in the U.S. have a smartphone by the age of 14 , a situation that has prompted similar handset Bachelor of Arts in Nursing in schools there , CBS News report . U.S. Department of Education data from the 2021 - 2022 school year realise some 76 % of schools prohibit the non - academic use of smartphones .
