Most readers of this column will already be aware of the challenges that smartphones bring into the lives of children and young people today, writes Sarah Green, the Liberal Democrat MP for Chesham and Amersham.

The question of how to respond to these challenges is not simple to answer.  In a short space of time, smartphones have gone from a novel luxury to a near necessity, and the age at which children access them has fallen sharply. At the same time, apps have become more sophisticated and more immersive. Teachers have spoken to me about the strain they feel, trying to manage the use of devices which can so easily capture the attention of young people. 

Some schools in our area are already trialling smartphone-free approaches (like lockable pouches) in ways that are appropriate for their own environments and pupils. These are not easy decisions - many parents feel reassured by an ability to contact their child directly, should anything bad happen at home or school. But these proposals are all underpinned by a desire to improve outcomes for children by creating better learning environments and healthier childhoods. 

In Parliament, I have voted in favour of keeping smartphones out of classrooms. My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have also called for limits to be put in place on how long children and young people can scroll on given social media apps. We would like to see a film classification style approach to user-to-user platforms, with a default age of 16 for social media. Platforms would then be incentivised to make changes, based on Ofcom guidelines, to make their sites safer and thereby lower their age rating. 

We now need the Government to bring forward proposals that are workable, futureproof, and firmly in the interests of children. I will continue to work closely with parents, schools, and experts toward this outcome.