Pouch Study
While concerns about the effects of smartphones on young people continue to grow, evidence remains inconclusive. Evidence on harms is mixed, often limited by short-term studies that do not separate general screen use from smartphone-specific behaviour.
Many parents, teachers and students themselves have expressed unease about excessive phone use, particularly during school hours. Some schools have already implemented bans, but these policies can be controversial, especially among parents who want their children to have access to their phones.
The Pouch Study, led by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, will investigate the use of Odyssey smartphone pouches – lockable cases that allow students to keep their phones with them, but inaccessible during the school day. The researchers will assess whether limiting phone use in school can influence students' behaviour and academic performance.
Aims
Researchers will evaluate the introduction of a school smartphone restriction policy using the Odyssey lockable pouch. It aims to measure the impact on students’ educational outcomes and behaviour.
Methods
The study is a mixed-methods, prospective before-and-after cohort study evaluating the impact of introducing a smartphone pouch on students’ educational and behavioural outcomes.
Students will be assessed before and after the pouches are introduced. Qualitative data will include:
- Focus groups with students, parents and teachers.
- Semi-structured interviews with Headteachers/Principals and wellbeing leads.
Students aged 11 to 18+ from up to 20 secondary schools across the UK will take part in the study. Nine of these schools are invited in an evaluation funded by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.
Each morning, students will place their phones into an Odyssey pouch, which will remain locked throughout the school day. Students retain possession of their phones, which are unlocked at the end of the day.
Principal Investigator
Professor of Medical Statistics
Affiliations
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
- School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences
- School of Academic Psychiatry
- Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics
- Department of Addictions Sciences
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mental Health & Neuroscience Clinical Trial Statistics Group