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Oh shit, government gonna react now.
UK government bans electronic devices for all children under 16 effective immediately following complaint by one Etonian.
Make that one hundred complaints:
He was not alone. More than 100 Eton parents backed a letter in 2024 warning of “clear evidence of harm to a significant number of boys in the school’s care due to screen addiction”
I've worked in IT for private and state schools in the UK and let me tell you: the prats running private schools get away with shit that would land anyone at state schools in prison, so I can't say I'm surprised to hear this about Eton but please don't tar every school with the same brush.
In the private schools I worked at, the process for issuing a device to a student invariably went: "Here's your top-of-the range Apple iThing. Here's a piece of paper with the apps we expect you to install." and that was it - the kids were free to do what they wanted, which is the problem here: not that they have an iPad, but that they have full access to the web browser, App Store, social media, games, etc. Kids were addicted to them from day one for all the reasons we all already know about, but the Fauntleroys who make the decisions in those places just don't want to hear it and will push back on having to make any kind of decision.
State schools were invariably more sensible and when devices were issued - to students, classes, libraries, whatever - they were heavily managed by MDM to make sure that student had exactly what they needed and nothing more: no social media, no games, usually no camera, a website whitelist, a curated list of apps that could only be used based on time of day, geofencing, etc, all controlled by policies customised to each location, yeargroup, curriculum needs, etc. Those kids were less enthralled with the devices specifically because they weren't the target of a never-ending sensory and emotional barrage from predatory billionaires. Where devices were issued to kids on a 1:1 basis for use at home (very rare) they were strictly limited to school-approved tasks unless the parents specifically gave consent (and took responsibility, even rarer); even then there were still strict controls in place and those kids wouldn't be allowed anywhere near TikTok and it's ilk. In this context, tablets, smartphones, laptops, whatever are actually really useful, serve their purpose well and really do benefit the students.
The problem, as ever, isn't the technology, but a lack of consideration and reflection on the part of the decision makers.
Eton is a public school
Privileged kids get too much screen time.
Oh the humanity...
Privileged or not they're still kids who are ending up with mental health problems due to the actions of their school. You can still have empathy for children despite where they happened to be born and what choices their parents made for them.
Not to mention the article is clearly stating this situation is happening outside of Eton with the more general child population with no recourse. Unfortunately, we currently live in a situation where wealthy and influential parents are the ones who can get psychologists and journalists to take note of problems, but that is not the fault of 13 year olds.
who gives a fuck about those inbred freaks
