Italy is planning a mobile phone ban in schools: fear of smartphone traps!

Italy is planning a mobile phone ban in schools: fear of smartphone traps!

Italy is planning a comprehensive ban on cell phones in the classrooms of all schools. The ban affects not only private use, but also the use of mobile phones for teaching purposes. Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara is concerned about the negative impact of smartphones on the psycho-emotional development of young people. According to Valditara, smartphones can cause concentration and memory difficulties as well as problems in the development of imagination. Italy also supports the introduction of a Europe -wide mobile phone ban in schools, which illustrates a general trend in many European countries.

The mobile phone ban in Italy follows the example of Austria, where a similar ban has been in the class and breaks since May 1, 2025. These measures reflect a growing global trend to deal with the role of cell phones in schools. The renaming of the Ministry of Education to "Ministry of School and Minister" under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in October 2022 also signals a focus on educational reforms.

discussions about cell phone bans in Germany

However, there are also well -founded arguments against a general ban. Cell phones enable students to quickly send their parents to their parents in their timetable or emergencies in the event of sudden changes. The creative and useful use of smartphones in class, for example with learning apps or for research, could no longer be used fully. In addition, it is suggested that schools should instead develop community rules in order to train the students in a responsible way of dealing with cell phones.

study situation and international examples

In Germany, young people spend an average of 36.9 hours on the smartphone every week, with respondents between the ages of 16 and 18 years use their cell phones a day. A study shows that 50 % of 11 to 17 year olds receive at least 237 notifications per day, with 23 % of these notifications arriving during school. These numbers throw a critical light on the current mobile phone use and its possible negative effects on the physical and mental health of young people.

The introduction of cell phone bans in schools can already be observed in countries such as Finland, Denmark, England and the Netherlands. In Germany, more schools are increasingly thinking about a ban on private cell phone use. Important studies show inconsistent results on the effects of a mobile phone ban on learning success: The British study in 2016 documented that schools with a ban were able to achieve improved test results, especially with low -performance students. In contrast, a Swedish study from 2019 could not demonstrate a positive effect of a cell phone ban, which is due to the high digitization rate of schools. A comprehensive analysis of 22 studies from 12 countries confirms the mixed image and emphasizes the importance of the design and enforcement of such regulations.

The discussions about cell phone bans in schools show that there is no clear answer. The arguments are diverse, and decisions must be made in the context of the respective school and social framework. It remains to be seen whether and when similar regulations will also be implemented nationwide in Germany.

For more information about the planned ban in Italy, read krone.at. Reports on the pro- and contra arguments on cell phone bans ZDF and extensive study results are on German Schulportal.