Smartphones in School: Should they be banned?

 Dr. Karuna Hazarika

(drkaruna97@gmail.com)

On July 26, 2023, UNESCO calls for a global ban on smart phones in schools. According to UNESCO, the UN organization for education, science, and culture, there is evidence that excessive usage of mobile phones is associated with poorer academic achievement and that excessive exposure to such screens has a negative impact on children’s emotional balance and stability. Their report has just made a request for smart phones to be used in classes only when they help students achieve their learning objectives.

“The digital revolution holds immeasurable potential, but just as warnings have been voiced for how it should be regulated in society, similar attention must be paid to the way it is used in education.” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General

The use of smart phones in particular can impair classroom instruction. Reflecting on one study that examined schooling from pre-primary to higher education in 14 nations, it was discovered that it stopped students from learning. Students’ attention can be diverted from their job at hand only by having a mobile phone nearby that is sending them notifications. While the UNESCO findings are released at a time when some nations have started to forbid smart phones in classrooms, however, there are differing views on whether to completely outlaw the gadget, which during the COVID-19 epidemic emerged as a significant educational resource for the entire planet. As stated in the report, excessive or inappropriate use of technology by the student in the classroom and at home—whether on computers, tablets, or smart phones—could be disruptive, distracting, and have a negative effect on learning. However, while technology has the ability to provide millions of individuals with new educational opportunities, improper or excessive usage can distract from learning, cause disruptions, and have other negative effects too. The inequities brought forth by digital learning are also highlighted in the UNESCO report. Additionally, it urged nations to establish their own guidelines for the design and application of technology in the classroom so that it never takes the place of face-to-face, teacher-led instruction and advances the goal of universally high-quality education.

Mobile phones have now become a basic requirement. In this day and age, it is almost impossible to do chores without a smart phone, whether it be making calls, messaging, making purchases or appointments, accessing social media, or even looking for academic resources and whatnot. It’s a day-to-day affair, and even most people start the day with their smart phones. The market is growing day by day. By 2023, there are projected to be more than 525 million smart phone users worldwide, according to Statista. As reported, this expansion is anticipated to last through 2028. Likewise, India, according to Business Line, is expected to have more than one billion smart phone users in 2023. As per the reported data by the data report on daily time spent, 5 hours and 47 minutes is the maximum amount of average time spent on their mobile phones globally by the Philippines, while Japan spends the least—one hour and 39 minutes.

UNESCO is concerned about the use of smart phones by children due to its direct and indirect effects on them in the long term as well as in the short term. It is obvious and worrisome that the innocence of our children is being corrupted by unfiltered exposure to adult content via smart phones. The fabricated and sometimes unnatural realities that today’s kids see in social media content are to blame for a lot of their emotional and mental problems. It is understood that this is a direct effect of the smart phone culture, which is also having an impact on their sense of identity and worth.

UNESCO’s director general, Audrey Azoulay, said: “Its use must be for enhanced learning experiences and for the wellbeing of students and teachers, not to their detriment. Keep the needs of the learner first and support teachers. Online connections are no substitute for human interaction.”

Some countries have taken steps before UNESCO’s call. In order to combat “internet and game addictions” and encourage pupils to concentrate on their studies, China banned the use of mobile phones in schools in February 2021, as reported in the South China Morning Post (SCMP). 2020 saw the implementation of a mobile phone ban in Tasmania, Australia. In order to promote more focus in the classroom and to act against cyberbullying, France banned mobile phones for elementary and middle school pupils in 2018. Most of the states in the USA have banned smart phones in schools since 2020. Most of the countries are really concerned about the growth of mobile phone use in schools and have started taking steps accordingly. In India, there is no legal ban on mobile phones in schools; the school administration and the state government can take their steps. Recently, the Delhi government has taken steps to ban mobile phones in schools. No doubt, during the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phones helped more than a billion students worldwide get an education, but millions of poor students were left behind without internet access.

Now, everyone is concerned about the excess use of smart phones, cyberbullying, and screen time exposure that may result in mental health problems and even ‘virtual autism’ affecting children in the age group of 2–5 years who are exposed to screens for more than 4 hours a day. There is a 25% rise in screen time following COVID-19 through 2020–22. The possible benefit to students’ concentration and academic performance is one of the key arguments in favour of prohibiting smart phones in classrooms. Social networking, games, and messaging apps on smart phones may be a major distraction, taking students’ focus away from assignments and lectures in the classroom. There is argument about their need to have access to these devices or social media. There will always be pros and cons to any technology, but it will be wise to embrace the better side for the benefit of society and human beings. So, it looks like the call of the hour by UNESCO is to limit the use of smart phones by the younger generation to keep face-to-face classroom teaching alive for more meaningful interaction and to build strong and adequate interpersonal relationships that will build essential communication and social skills. However, a comprehensive policy by educators, parents, and policymakers may be evaluated considering the educational potential and benefits of technology in modern education to achieve the goal of equipping students with all necessary skills to propagate knowledge of the digital world, despite the adverse atmosphere for the development of academic and individual growth.