New data shows a ban on mobile phones at public high schools introduced by the Malinauskas Labor Government in 2023 continues to show huge improvements in student behaviour and wellbeing.
Department for Education incident reporting shows there has been an 82 per cent decline in matters related to mobile phone use in terms 1 of 2026 – compared to the same period in 2023, before the ban was in place. Overall incidents in term 1 fell from 137 to 25.
Of those incidents in term 1 this year, five were reported by schools to involve social media compared to 55 over the same period in 2023 – a more than ten-fold decrease.
The critical incident data represents reported matters centred on students not complying with the policy or overall behaviour involving phones, along with a reduction in issues involving social media – such as cyber bullying, circulation of explicit content or other concerning online behaviour.
Annual data analysis from 2023 to 2025 shows reported incidents are decreasing year-on-year:
- Students not complying with the policy declined 66 per cent from 2023 to 2025.
- Inappropriate behaviour involving a device declined 48 per cent from 2023 to 2025.
- Social media issues such as cyber bullying or sharing explicit content declined 74 per cent from 2023 to 2025.
South Australia has the nation's strongest mobile phone ban – 'off and away' for the whole day, including during breaks. This policy continues to play a key role in helping to address anti-social behaviour at schools and improve learning outcomes.
We have led the way in establishing a national social media ban for children under 16 – and now a landmark study has further demonstrated why this is so important.
The Murdoch Children's Research Institute research has found young people who spend at least two hours a day on social media are more likely to have poor mental health.
The decade-long study involved around 1,200 students and shows higher social media use is linked to a greater risk of depression, anxiety and poor wellbeing, with the strongest impact on girls aged 12-13.
With Canada now joining other nations in following Australia's social media ban, South Australia is continuing delivering nation-leading initiatives to protect young people from the harmful effects of these platforms.
This includes empowering parents to give their kids a smartphone-free childhood and rolling out a pioneering media literacy program in all primary schools to teach children how to distinguish fact from fiction online.
Annual data – Critical incident data for mobile phones and social media
As put by Peter Malinauskas
We have led the world in getting kids off screens, and our policies are already delivering significant results.
Teachers have witnessed the phone ban in schools changing the dynamic in the classroom and the playground.
The data backs this up. We've seen a more than 80 per cent reduction in critical incidents involving phones and social media at our schools since the phone ban took effect.
We want to see these improvements continue. To do that we need to continue to ensure our children are engaged with one another and active.
Our comprehensive suite of policies to get kids off phones includes free school activities and free camps, and we look forward to those initiatives rolling out.
As put by Lucy Hood
South Australia led what has become a global movement to tackle the harmful effects of social media and excessive screen time, and findings like these demonstrate why that leadership matters.
By removing the distractions caused by mobile phones, we're creating classroom environments where teachers can teach and students can focus on learning.
Just as importantly, during break times, its helping young people build stronger face-to-face connections, explore their interests and hobbies, and simply enjoy being kids.
