Finland only banned smartphones in schools

In a world that seems to turn faster with each slip, Finland is pressing a pause.

This August, when students from all over the country return to classrooms, will enter a new type of learning environment, one in which smartphones are no longer a constant partner. A new law approved by the Finnish Parliament will restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day in primary and secondary schools. Students will need a teacher’s permission to even get their phones.

It is not just about stopping the screen time. Legislators say it is a movement to protect the learning, attention and well -being of children.

But Finland is far from being the only country that implements this type of legislation. From France to Brazil, an increasing number of countries are signed by smartphones in schools, and science supports it.

What is doing Finland

As one of the worlds High performance educational systemsFinland decisions have large influence. When a country known for innovation and academic excellence decides that the costs of the use of the telephone in the classroom exceed the benefits, sends a sign that others can, and perhaps they should reconsider their own policies.

Finnish legislation does not require absolute prohibition. Rather, it establishes a clear limit.

Telephones must be kept out of view during lessons, unless a teacher grants permission for educational or personal health reasons. The staff is now empowered to confiscate devices if they interrupt learning.

This national movement replaces a mosaic of rules that vary from school to school. As Tony Björk, director of Mattliden Sweden High School, said, it is good to have uniform rules … taking into account the entire nation, it is something really good. “

Students have had mixed reactions and not everyone is cheering. Many agree that phones can be a distraction, but understandably, not all It’s excited About the new law.

While some Finnish students agree that phones can be a distraction, others feel that the law is going too far. It is an expected reaction. Many young people see phones not only as tools but as life lines: friends, information and their identities. But adults are increasingly concerned about what all that connectivity is costing.

The evidence supports it

So what do we know exactly about the use of smartphones in schools?

It turns out that enough.

Studies show that students work better academically when phones are not available. A 2017 study in it Journal of Educational Psychology He discovered that the mere presence of a smartphone, even if he is off, reduced the care and working memory. The same was confirmed in A separate study.

UNESCO Reported report Similar patterns in 14 countries, where test scores fell among students with high levels of using class devices. Researchers say that it is not only the time dedicated to phones, but the way they interrupt the rhythm of thought and conversation.

And, while some argue that phones are essential for modern learning, experts warn against that assumption.

“We need to teach children to live with and without technology; to take what they need the abundance of information, but ignore what is not necessary; let technology support, but never supplant human interactions in teaching and learning,” said Manos Antoninis, director of the Global Education Monitoring Report.

This debate is not just about test scores.

Many educators point out the growing concerns about the mental health of young people. In Finland, as in much of the developed world, youth anxiety and depression are increasing. Some researchers link that trend, at least in part, to the use of social networks and constant connectivity.

In Brazil, where a similar law has just approved, the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, cited mental health as a driving factor. The Brazilian average now passes More than nine hours a day on your phone. Children often join the digital world before learning to read.

The general panorama

It is difficult to know if the ban will work as expected.

Making the ban can be complicated. The past attempts in some schools failed due to an inconsistent application and a setback of the students. But by making the rule national, and giving teachers the real authority, Finland hopes to change the culture.

If it succeeds, politics could become a model for others. In fact, Finland is far from the first country to introduce such policies. Around a quarter of the countries of the world have introduced some kind of prohibition of smartphones in schools, and the list is growing in recent years.

Timeline of some of the smartphone prohibitions In Europe.

Time will say what will be the effects that smartphones in schools prohibit. But one thing is clear: the world is awakening the idea that attention is a limited resource. And in the classrooms everywhere, the question is becoming not only can We live without our phones, but ought us?