Something ironic is happening in South Korea. This country is one of the most digitally connected in the world, where almost everybody has access to the internet and owns a smartphone. However, in March next year South Korea will implement something very important: banning the use of mobile phones in school classrooms.
This measure aims to help students focus better and reduce negative effects produced by the overuse of social media. Of course, this has created an intense debate between parents, teachers and teenagers. So, let’s find out more about this situation.
Why is South Korea doing this?
Lawmakers stated that young people spend too much time on their mobile phones, mostly on social media. Most of them stay up late until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. scrolling on Instagram, which affects their sleeping hours and their capacity to pay attention at school.
The Education Ministry did a survey and the results were:
- 37% of middle and high school students said social media affects their daily lives.
- 22% said they feel anxious if they cannot access their accounts.
Obviously, this is a worrying situation for both teachers and parents because this situation reaches a point where young people’s mental health and capacity to focus are at risk.
What the new law says
The banning will be applied to every classroom in South Korea, where students won’t be able to use their mobile phones nor any other digital device during classes. However, it’s important to highlight some exceptions:
- Students with disabilities can still use devices if needed.
- Educational purposes are allowed, meaning teachers can approve the use of tablets, laptops, or even phones when they are part of learning activities.
This way the government limits students over their mobile phones usage, but they can still take advantage of technology’s potential to help in the learning process.
South Korea and its digital culture
What makes this decision more remarkable is that South Korea is known for being a hyperconnected country. According to Pew Research Center, in 2022 and 2023 it was the first country among the 27 when it came to internet usage and owning smartphones.
In their daily lives, South Korean people use their mobile phones for everything: bank, shopping, entertainment, messaging, and study. That’s why this banning at schools is seen as a bold step that reflects how worrying the situation is among young people.
Supporters and critics
The law obtained bipartisan support in parliament, which shows that politicians from different parties see this issue as urgent. What’s more, many parents and teachers celebrate the measure because they believe it will be helpful for students’ academic and well-being improvement.
However, there are always people against changes. In this case groups of young people state that banning mobile phones is too much and it could be even considered a violation of students’ rights. Instead, they propose to teach students how to use technology in a responsible way.
Global tendency
South Korea is not the only country taking action against the overuse of mobile phones, so let’s have a look at what other places are doing:
- Australia recently expanded its ban on social media for teenagers.
- The Netherlands introduced a ban on mobile phones in schools, and studies there showed improved focus among students.
What’s next?
We don’t know how people will react from March of next year, when this measure will be implemented: Will it improve students’ concentration? Will they sleep better? What we do know is that there’s an ongoing conversation about mobile phones and young people that doesn’t seem to have a near end. What’s your view on this measure?