Cell phone bans at school: How effective are they?

DW (English)

An increasing number of schools worldwide are banning cell phones. Since the beginning of 2025, a new law in Brazil prohibits pupils from using smartphones during breaks or in class.

Transcript

00:01In Brazil, using smartphones in school has been forbidden by law since the start of 2025.

00:07Students deposit their phones in the morning, in their lockers, for example,

00:11and can only use them once the school day is over.

00:14The idea behind this is to reduce distractions.

00:20I'm more focused now. I used to be anxious about people messaging me.

00:25I always want to check my phone.

00:27Now, all I can focus on is school. I like it, and the lessons have been going well.

00:37Phones can still be used in emergencies and for teaching purposes.

00:41The Brazilian government hopes that the law can help students to concentrate better,

00:45as well as benefit their health.

00:47It's also supposed to make the students interact more with each other.

00:51In real life, of course.

00:52We are regaining social interactions, something we had lost due to all the screens and phones.

01:00The kids were glued to their phones and had trouble controlling how much time they spent on them.

01:05You see, if adults can't control their screen time, how can we expect the kids to do so?

01:11Across the globe, smartphone-free schools are being tested, like in New Zealand, China and Italy.

01:23In other countries, individual schools are opting to try it.

01:27Some studies have shown that this can have a positive effect on the social well-being of the students.

01:36But critics argue that this leaves students unable to learn media literacy,

01:40and that it can't really be enforced.

01:42Yes, the kids do try to get around it.

01:51But overall, it's been going a lot better than we expected.

01:56Most of the students and the parents have welcomed the new rules.

02:00As in every large group, there are exceptions, of course.

02:04It's mostly the older students that have trouble accepting the new rules.

02:13Some question why they're not allowed to check their phone during the breaks.

02:20My grades and my performance in class have improved.

02:25But there's also a downside to it all.

02:27Because the truth is that it makes communicating much harder.

02:31Almost all of it happens on our phones nowadays.

02:34And the first thing I do when I leave school is check my phone.

02:38It's almost become a necessity.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended