00:00In this classroom in Rihimaki, Finland, the students are going old school, ditching their
00:06laptops and tablets for pen and paper.
00:11It's part of an initiative by the town, located some 44 miles north of Helsinki, as Finnish
00:16parents and teachers have become increasingly concerned over the impact of screens on children.
00:23Finland's public education system has gained global renown for its good results in recent
00:27decades, and its readiness to try new teaching techniques.
00:32Many schools until recently gave laptops for free to all students, as early as age 11.
00:38But across Finland in recent years, children's learning results have been slowly eroding.
00:43Rihimaki had since 2018 stopped using most books in middle schools.
00:48Nina Peltopuro is a clinical neuropsychologist working with the town on the change.
01:05are very vulnerable with multitasking, and especially when you are this young age.
01:16So they cannot manage well.
01:19You are doing math in computer, and then you go to check Instagram, is there any messages,
01:26and then you come back to math.
01:27And then you go to Snapchat, and then you come back to math.
01:31Finnish teenagers currently stare at screens for up to six hours per day on average.
01:36Peltopuro says excessive digital use comes with both physical and mental risks, such
01:41as eye problems and growing anxiety.
01:44The Finnish government is planning new legislation banning the use of personal devices, such
01:49as phones, during school hours.
01:51Fourteen-year-old Elle Sokka says the screens can be an issue.
01:59Maybe when we used the Chromebook more, sometimes I would drift off to different websites.
02:03Maybe I didn't always focus on the essential things.
02:07English teacher Maija Kaunonen says she's happy about the change in Rihimaki.
02:11I do think that it has sort of made young people concentrate more during lessons, and
02:22there are less distractions.
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