Unplugged: Raising a Smartphone Free Generation

We will be exploring the transformative impact of removing smartphones from schools with David Smith, and learning about safeguarding from data ethics expert Emma Martins.

This is a free community event aimed at parents, teachers, policymakers, and Deputies invested in safeguarding the next generation.

Featured Speakers:

David Smith | Headteacher, The Fulham Boys School (FBS)

In September 2024, FBS became the first secondary school in the UK to ban smartphones across Years 7–11—and they haven't looked back since.

What he will share:

• Firsthand accounts of the behaviours and trends that prompted the ban.
• The specific approach the school took and why.
• Key lessons learned along the way and the hugely positive, transformative results achieved.

Emma Martins | Data Protection & Ethics Expert

A veteran of the data protection world, Emma’s work spans public and charitable sectors, focusing on the intersection of technology, policy, and human-centric data practices.

What she will share:

• The reality of how harmful, addictive business models intentionally capture and monetise children’s attention.
• A call to action for the community to unite behind a common goal: safeguarding children from real-world digital harms.
• How Guernsey can learn from the past to establish a thoughtful, harm-reduction approach to protecting childhood.

A Q&A will follow the main talks.