Danish boarding school students welcome strict screen time rules

A new survey by Save the Children Denmark shows that most boarding school students support strict rules limiting mobile phone and screen use, DR reports.

At 9:30 each morning, students at Nordfyns Efterskole crowd around as a teacher unlocks the “mobile hotel”—a locked storage unit where phones are kept overnight. Within minutes, the shelves empty as students reclaim their devices after 12 hours without access. The scene reflects a broader trend: three out of four boarding school students in Denmark face after-hours screen restrictions, with 93% reporting stricter rules than at home.

The survey, which included 4,850 students across 46 boarding schools, found that 75% have off-hours screen policies, and most students view them positively. “Overall, students recognize that these rules create more presence and social interaction,” said Mogens Zabel, headmaster at Nordfyns Efterskole.

Students report better sleep and social bonds
Seventeen-year-old Daniel Gejpel, a student at Nordfyns Efterskole, appreciates the nightly phone collection. “It’s actually nice that someone puts their foot down and says we have to hand in our phones. I sleep better, and it pushes me out of my comfort zone to talk to new people,” he said. His classmate, Christiane Wendt Kaae, 17, added that the absence of constant notifications makes face-to-face conversations easier. “In theory, you could control it yourself, but it’s easy to just check your phone when a message comes in,” she explained.

Over half of the surveyed students admitted spending more time online than is healthy. Aida Bikic, a psychologist researching youth social media use at the University of Southern Denmark, noted that collective agreements—whether among parents or schools—are most effective. “Even if it causes immediate conflict, teens often appreciate the boundaries in the long run,” she said. “But individual families struggle because no one wants their child left out.”

While Daniel acknowledges he’d protest if his parents enforced similar rules at home, he admits it might be beneficial. “I’d probably say, Ugh, I’m almost an adult,” he laughed. “But honestly, I’d like it—then I could spend more time with my family.”