Emma and Matt Willis will front a new TV show which will see them along with pupils give up their smartphones completely for a total of 21 days.
The Channel 4 documentary series, titled Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones, will work with the Year 8 students from The Stanway School in Colchester.
And researchers at the University of York will monitor changes in behaviour among the pupils and presenting team over the three weeks.
They will also analyse the effects giving up your phone can have on your brain, including sleep and attention, by testing things like reaction times and memory.
The Willises said: “Our lives these days revolve around our smartphones, and the thought of three weeks without them is quite honestly daunting, yet fascinating.
“The statistics on children’s smartphone use are beyond worrying so the time feels absolutely right for the issue to be addressed.
“We’re intrigued by the results of the experiment and hope it can spark change and have a lasting and positive impact on everyone.”
The House of Commons Education Committee said there had been a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022, with a quarter said to be using their devices in an addictive manner.
Presenter and broadcaster Dr Rangan Chatterjee will meet experts, scientists, campaigners and politicians to “uncover the deep-rooted effects of smartphone use” along with the married presenting pair.
Dr Chatterjee said that the “increasing use of technology has insidiously crept into every part of our children’s lives, including their school life” without “proper thought”.
Channel 4 suggested that the findings of the two-part show could “be the catalyst for the Government to enact a select committee suggested nationwide ban on smartphones for children under 14 or 16”.
Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones will air on Channel 4 later this year.
