Apple offers solution for parents concerned over school smartphone bans

Apple is aiming to boost sales of its smartwatch by touting it as a device that can enable parents to stay in touch with their children.

A new marketing campaign by the tech giant, spotted by CNBC, comes as an increasing number of schools explore the idea of banning smartphones in the classroom amid concerns over how the devices can be a distraction, or, on a broader level, negatively impact mental health.

Apple’s new website, titled “a great call for kids,” explains how its cellular-enabled Apple Watch can be setup so that parents know the location of their child, while also giving the child a way to contact their parents via messaging or calls.

“Set up any Apple Watch with cellular for your kids, even if they don’t have their own iPhone,” the company says on the website. “Easy to call and text. Know where they are. Great ways to keep them active. It’s independence for them. And peace of mind for you.”

The Apple Watch can also be loaded with various features specific to kids. For example, Apple explains that with a feature called Schooltime, “notifications and apps are restricted during school hours. When it’s enabled, a distinctive yellow circle is displayed on the watch face that teachers and parents can easily recognize, signifying that access to apps is restricted and Do Not Disturb is turned on. For convenience, parents can also set the schedule on their iPhone so Apple Watch automatically goes into Schooltime during specific hours.”

Additionally, the Find My app shows the Apple Watch wearer’s precise location, and can receive alerts when they arrive at their destination, such as school, or arrive home.

If a parent feels that their child is too young for a smartphone, or has a child that attends a school where such devices are banned, Apple hopes that an Apple Watch could work well as a replacement.

More and more schools are looking into putting in place new rules that restrict or ban smartphones from their premises. As CNBC points out, Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin just this week directed the state to establish rules for smarthone-free schools, while public schools in New York City and Los Angeles are also looking at ways to limit smartphone use.

And it’s not just in the U.S. where educational bodies are cracking down on smartphone use in schools. Earlier this week, it emerged that one of the U.K.’s most elite schools is banning smartphone use starting with its new intake of 13-year-old students in September.