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Ban on cell phones in schools: More concentration or a senseless ban?
Hesse is planning to ban cell phones in schools in order to promote concentration and social interaction among students. Debate on advantages and disadvantages.
Ban on cell phones in schools: More concentration or a senseless ban?
From now on there is a strict ban on cell phones in Carinthian elementary schools. State Councilor Heinrich Fellner (ÖVP) announced that cell phones are classified as “devices that disrupt school operations”. Devices must be kept safe during class, and violations of this rule may result in warnings, class register entries, or parent notifications. Fellner justified the decree by saying that excessive cell phone use has negative effects on the development of children. This is part of a broader plan that includes a working group with scientific support for the age group 10 to 14 years to raise awareness about appropriate media use kleinezeitung.at reported.
The influence of prohibition
The topic of banning cell phones in schools is becoming increasingly controversial. While some voices, such as that of Hesse's Minister of Education, Armin Schwarz (CDU), are calling for a nationwide ban, countries such as Canada, Australia, France and England are already showing how such regulations can be implemented in a modified form. Arguments in favor of the ban say it increases student concentration and reduces cyberbullying, as in other countries where cell phones are not allowed, students are playing and communicating more with each other again. An OECD study from 2024 also showed that excessive cell phone use worsens school performance t3n.de determines.
On the other hand, there are those who consider a blanket ban to be out of step. Critics argue that schools should instead focus on media literacy and prepare students for the challenges of the digital world. A general ban could lead to students finding prohibited cell phone use attractive and thereby missing out on interesting opportunities for use. Instead, limited use under certain conditions, such as a special school mode, might make more sense. These different perspectives show that the debate about the role of smartphones in schools is far from over.