The Surprising Impact of Banning Mobile Phones in a Town

The parents of Greystones, a town in County Wicklow, Ireland, have collectively agreed not to buy smartphones for their children until they reach secondary school. All eight primary schools in the town have already banned electronic devices, and the parent associations have taken it a step further by initiating a voluntary ban among themselves. This approach aims to alleviate the pressure on children to constantly be connected to social media and has been welcomed by the locals. The rise in social media has been linked to the mental health crisis facing teenagers, and the smartphone ban is seen as a way to protect young people's mental health. Other towns in Ireland are considering implementing a similar policy, and some countries, such as France and Italy, have already banned phones in classrooms.