Brazil restricts smartphone use in schools

Brazil restricts smartphone use in schools

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a law on Monday banning the use of Smartphones restricted in schools. Brazil is thus following a global trend that encourages such restrictions. This regulation will affect primary and secondary school students in the South American country from February and establishes a legal framework that stipulates that smartphones may only be used in emergencies, for educational purposes or to support students with disabilities.

Positive feedback from parents and teachers

Education Minister Camilo Santana spoke in the capital, Brasília, saying that children are going online earlier and earlier, making it difficult for parents to keep track of their activities. Restricting smartphone use in schools should help improve the situation.

“We want these devices, like in many other countries, to be used only in class for educational purposes and under the guidance of a teacher,” Santana said.

Broad support for the law

The law found rare support across the political spectrum, both from allies of the left-leaning Lula and his right-wing populist opponent, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Many parents and students also supported the measure. A survey by Datafolha in October found that almost two-thirds of respondents want to ban the use of smartphones by children and young people in schools. More than three-quarters of participants believed these devices were doing more harm than good to their children.

Practical experience

"(Restricting cell phones) is tough but necessary. It's useful for looking for information for school, but social use is not good," said Ricardo Martins Ramos, 43, a father of two girls and owner of a hamburger restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. “The kids will interact more with each other.”

His 13-year-old daughter Isabela reported that her classmates had difficulty concentrating on their tasks during class because they were constantly distracted with their smartphones. She supported the law, but does not see it as the sole solution to all challenges in the education sector.

"If the teacher allows you to use the cell phone, it's usually because he wants you to search for information," she said. “There are still a lot of things that schools can’t solve, like bullying and harassment.”

Regional differences in Brazil

As of 2023, about two-thirds of Brazilian schools had already imposed some restrictions on the use of cell phones, while 28% had completely banned these devices, a survey by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee showed in August. In the states of Rio de Janeiro, Maranhão and Goiás, local laws have already been passed to ban such devices in schools. Still, authorities have difficulty enforcing these laws.

Discussions about bans in São Paulo

Authorities in São Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, are currently debating whether smartphones should be banned in both public and private schools. Gabriele Alexandra Henriques Pinheiro, 25, who works in a beauty salon and is the mother of an autistic boy, also supports the restrictions. However, she notes that adults often set a poor example of how to use smartphones for children.

“It’s difficult,” she said. “I try to limit the amount of time my son spends in front of any screen, but whenever I need to get something done, I have to use my smartphone to get it all done.”

Global trends and studies

For many years, children's use of smartphones has been linked to bullying, suicidal ideation, anxiety and a loss of concentration necessary for learning. Last year, China took measures to restrict children's use of smartphones, while France has already introduced a ban on cell phones in schools for children aged six to 15.

Cell phone bans are also gaining traction in the United States, where eight states have passed laws or policies restricting cell phone use to reduce access to the devices and minimize classroom distractions. A growing number of parents in Europe are raising concerns that smartphone use by young children is endangering their safety and mental health.

A report published in September by UNESCO, the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization, found that a quarter of countries have already restricted the use of such devices in schools. Last year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized in a US Senate hearing to parents of children who are exploited, bullied or driven to self-harm via social media. He also noted Meta's continued investments in industry-wide efforts to protect children.