Solihull businesses create phone-free zones to reduce screen time
Businesses and community groups in Solihull are creating phone-free environments to help reduce young people's screen time.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Businesses and community groups in Solihull are creating phone-free environments to help reduce young people's screen time. The initiative, called the In Real Life campaign, is thought to be the first of its kind where a whole town takes action on the issue. A board game cafe is one of the venues locking away smartphones to encourage young people to spend time away from screens. The cafe's owner said: 'We try to create an environment for kids to come in and not just be on their phone, not just be on their screens because it can affect their mental health.'
The campaign has been driven by local schools who wanted to extend the phone-free message beyond the school gates. A school representative noted that while research shows not having phones in school reduces overall screen time, young people still use their phones late into the evening. The aim is to involve all agencies that work with young people in the community for a bigger impact.
Another company supporting the initiative is RoboCode in Shirley, which focuses on turning children from passive users of technology into creators. A representative highlighted that despite being digital natives, 96% of children cannot recognise a fake article about climate change. The usage of technology, they said, is limited to double tapping, scrolling, liking videos, and commenting, and does not translate to real digital literacy.
At Merredin Adventure Playground, staff are passionate about getting young people of all ages to play and say more such spaces are needed. One worker commented: 'If we take away their phones and we don't have alternatives that's going to be a problem and we need more places I think like this.'
The campaign comes alongside a phone ban in schools and a social media ban for under 16s due to come into force next year. The In Real Life campaign aims to help parents navigate all these changes.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| 96% of children cannot recognise a fake article about climate change. | |
| A phone ban in schools is in place and a social media ban for under 16s is due next year. | |
| The In Real Life campaign is thought to be the first of its kind, with a whole town taking action on the issue. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the community-wide effort in Solihull to create phone-free zones, highlighting multiple local businesses and groups involved. It balances the benefits of reducing screen time with the need for alternative activities, and connects the campaign to broader national policies like school phone bans and upcoming social media restrictions. The tone is neutral and informative, with a human-interest angle through quotes from young people and business owners.
- “We try to create an environment for kids to come in and not just be on their phone, not just be on their screens because it can affect their mental health.”
- “I think I'm on my phone about seven to eight hours a day doing a range of things. Even when it's stuff for school, it still impacts.”
- “If we take away their phones and we don't have alternatives that's going to be a problem and we need more places I think like this.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.