Young people encouraged to ditch their devices for ‘Disconnect to Reconnect’ week

Leeds City Council is launching a ‘Disconnect to Reconnect’ week, taking place between October 21-25, to inspire young people to think about their smart device usage and consider a more balanced approach.

The campaign is open to both secondary and primary schools and settings and follows the most recent results of the council’s annual ‘My Health My School’ survey, which asked pupils in the academic year 2022-23 a series of questions around topics including device use.

It found 54 per cent of the 5,874 pupils surveyed in years five and six reported spending two hours or more each day on screens.

In secondary schools, 77 per cent of the 6,384 responses across years seven, nine and 11 reported spending two more or more hours a day on screens and this proportion rose to 85 per cent of the 293 responses from students in post-16 settings.

‘Disconnect to reconnect’ week provides a range of activities and projects for students and families, to encourage a healthier and more mindful use of smart device technology, enabling better mental health and social interactions.

The campaign is a collaboration between the council’s Health and Wellbeing Service and Leeds-based psychologist and psychotherapist Dr Charlotte Armitage, the founder of national awareness day ‘No Phones At Home Day’.

A pilot ‘Disconnect to Reconnect’ week was held in March this year and saw over 5,000 students from 13 schools take part in Leeds.

Now it is hoped even more schools will sign up to support the cause, with the October 21-25 week being the first of three planned for this academic year, along with weeks in March and June 2025. 

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, said: “Smart devices are an intrinsic part of our lives however we know that becoming overly dependent on them is not healthy for our mental, physical or emotional wellbeing.

“’Disconnect to Reconnect’ week underlines our commitment to support the wellbeing of our students and we’ve worked hard to create an informative, engaging and relevant programme for schools to get involved with.

“The campaign provides teachers, students and parents with the tools and information they need to make better and more informed choices when it comes to their smart device use and is a great opportunity for adults to be mindful about their own device use too.”

One of the schools which took part in the March pilot week was Manor Wood Primary School in Moortown.

Teacher Becky Hayes said: “I think it’s crucial for primary school children to be mindful of their screen time, including phones, tablets and gaming, and we’ve been encouraging this in our school for a number of years.

“The positive feedback from both children and parents when our years five and six pupils gave up their devices for the week in March, was overwhelming. They explored lots of alternative activities and it fostered family bonding, with the children eagerly sharing their new experiences such as walking, visiting parks, forests and playing board games.

“We’re excited to continue this tradition and encourage more and more of our children to take time out from their screens.”

Dr Charlotte Armitage said: “There has previously been a bigger focus on the content that children are exposed to online, rather than looking at the impact that the amount of time they spend on devices is having on their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. By encouraging children to disconnect from devices, we hope they will start to recognise the benefits of time off screens.

“The pilot Disconnect to Reconnect week was a brilliant opportunity to encourage students, teachers and parents to discuss their smart device use and reflect on the effect it has on their lives. Feedback suggests it had a significant impact on participating students who reported feeling more present and engaged when reducing their time spent on devices.

“We’re excited to bring this initiative back for even more schools and pupils to take part.”

More details on Disconnect to Reconnect week and how to get involved can be found on the Leeds For Learning website or email schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk.

Visit HOME - No Phones At Home Day for more information on the No Phones At Home Day campaign.

ENDS

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Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

Tel: 0113 378 6007