Schools face a high demand for a cell phone ban due to countless parents' concerns
In a recent survey, the Postbank Digital Study 2025, it has been revealed that there is a subtle generational divide among German parents regarding the demand for mobile phone bans in schools. The study, conducted online between May and June this year, surveyed 3,050 residents, and the findings suggest that both younger and older parents support a ban during school hours, albeit with a slight difference in percentages.
Younger parents, often referred to as "digital natives," aged 18-39, show slightly higher support for a cell phone ban during school hours, with around 50% in favour, compared to 49% among older parents, or "digital immigrants," aged 40 and above.
However, the study also indicates that younger parents tend to impose stricter rules on smartphone and social media use outside school. For instance, 36% of younger parents restrict phone use before bedtime, compared to 26% of older parents. Similarly, 40% of younger parents limit daily phone use time, compared to 28% among older parents.
In terms of mealtime, 46% of younger parents restrict phone use during meals, compared to 54% among older parents, who place more emphasis on this restriction. On the other hand, when it comes to personal responsibility, 7% of younger parents prefer this approach, compared to 16% among older parents, who place more emphasis on it.
Despite the generational differences, the overall demand for phone bans during school hours is broadly shared across generations among German parents. The survey also indicates that 49% of respondents with children believe smartphones disrupt lessons and concentration.
The German Teachers' Association supports the guided use of digital media and social networks in schools, believing that such guidance helps children and young people develop appropriate and responsible usage skills. The Association suggests clear rules for mobile phone use in schools and collecting school-foreign objects, including mobile phones, at the end of the school day. However, the Association does not support an outright ban on mobile phones in schools.
The Association's president, Stefan Dull, believes that smartphones have a high potential for distraction and advocates for a critically reflective use of mobile phones. He supports a ban on private mobile phone use during lessons but believes that this is not sufficient.
The findings of the Postbank Digital Study 2025 and the "Leisure Monitor 2025" indicate that many Germans, including parents, spend a lot of time on their smartphones and the internet. This has led to concerns about insufficient time for purely analog leisure activities, with 52% of those aged 40 and above agreeing that mobile phones disrupt lessons and concentration, compared to 47% among those aged 18 to 39.
In conclusion, while there is a subtle generational divide in the approach to mobile phone rules outside school hours, the demand for phone bans during school hours remains high among German parents. The findings of these surveys suggest a need for schools to establish age-appropriate rules for mobile phone use, as seen in the plans of North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, among others.
Technology plays a significant role in education-and-self-development, as the Postbank Digital Study 2025 reveals that many Germans, including parents, spend a lot of time on smartphones and the internet.
Younger parents, often referred to as "digital natives," are more likely to impose stricter rules on smartphone and social media use outside school, indicating a keen awareness and responsibility towards technology's impact on their children's education-and-self-development.
