A report by the United Nations has recommended that smartphones should be banned from schools in a bid to tackle classroom disruption, improve learning and help protect children from online bullying. According to The Guardian, the UN's education, science and culture agency, Unesco, said there was evidence that excessive mobile phone usage was linked to reduced educational performance. High levels of screen time had a negative effect on children's emotional stability as well, it added.  The Unesco report highlighted that digital technology, including smartphones and artificial intelligence (AI), should be subservient to the "human-centred vision" of education and should never replace face-to-face interaction with teachers. "Not all change constitutes progress. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done," the report stated. The UN agency warned policymakers against an unthinking embrace of digital technology and asked them to take heed of the "social dimension of education". "Those urging increasing individualisation may be missing the point of what education is about," it added.