What happens when children voluntarily give up their smartphone?
In 2025, 32 students at Ecclesfield School in South Yorkshire agreed to take part in a challenge: giving up their smartphones for three weeks.
Filmed at the end of the experiment, Why Don’t You? captures their reflections on what changed during that time - from the initial shock of switching off to the unexpected ways their days began to fill again.
Some students rediscovered hobbies they’d neglected, from sport and music to spending more time outdoors or with friends and family. Others spoke honestly about the difficulty of being disconnected in a world where phones are central to social life.
Through their own voices, the film offers a candid snapshot of how smartphones shape young people’s lives and what can happen when that connection is suddenly removed.
The film was featured as part of a BBC News story exploring the project and the wider debate about children’s smartphone use.