South Korea Bans Phones in School Classrooms Nationwide

South Korea has passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones and smart devices during class hours in schools -- becoming the latest country to restrict phone use among children and teens. From a report: The law, which comes into effect from the next school year in March 2026, is the result of a bi-partisan effort to curb smartphone addiction, as more research points to its harmful effects. Lawmakers, parents and teachers argue that smartphone use is affecting students' academic performance and takes away time they could have spent studying.

Excellent

[nycsubway]

Let's replicate that in the US. Many school districts already ban smartphone usage during school hours, with very positive results.

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[alvinrod]

What does free speech have to do with smartphones? Even in the United States schools place limitations on students regularly. You don't get to stand up in the middle of class and scream gibberish because of your free speech results, nor can you refer to your teacher using any number of a serious of derogatory terms without finding yourself being directed to the principal's office. You shouldn't expect to be able to wear a shirt with drug references on it or anything else that violates a dress code without b

Re: Excellent

[blue trane]

What if the real problem here is schools which are more about control and manipulation of captive (literally) audiences than learning?

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[thomst]

Don't feed trolls.

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[BeepBoopBeep]

Mine did it years ago in the US, if yours has not, thats a local issue.

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[stabiesoft]

I think mine just did, with of course the helicopter parents screaming because they aren't tethered 24x7 to their child. I get they are worried about a school shooting, but seriously, mommy/daddy at work an hour away. Exactly what are they going to do to stop their child from being shot while driving over? And if their child gets sick. what about school admin giving them a call to pick the kid up.

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[TeknoHog]

of course the helicopter parents screaming because they aren't tethered 24x7 to their child.

In Finland we've just started the first phone-free school year. Apparently, some parents are getting doctor's orders to allow their child to keep their phone, for situations such as anxiety attacks (article in Finnish [www.hs.fi]). It's a miracle how such kids would have survived before mobile phones.

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[Frederic54]

In Québec this is our first phone-free school year too, I know some parents and children want to basically strike and protest, because helicopter parents will not be tethered anymore...

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[thegarbz]

I hope the school system fights back and gets court ordered psychiatric care for the families.

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[antdude]

Maybe those were the doctors that signed the notes. :P

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[stabiesoft]

And I read one report ambulance's were having trouble getting thru to the church/school because too many cars. Helo parents probably. Like I said, those helicopter parents are the problem.

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[Junta]

At least my district allows the phones to be around so long as they stay in bags in do-not-disturb and do not come out during the day. Enough for potential emergencies and allowing to coordinate pickup better (the nearest bus stop is about 4 miles out across some pretty pedestrian hostile roads, so still needs to be picked up).

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[stabiesoft]

As long as they stay out of reach/use I don't see a problem. But if the conditions were, caught once, verbal warning, caught twice, 3 day suspension, caught 3 times, expulsion. You have to put real consequences to violating the rules on this. Why? Well a friend taught in a HS which basically had the policy you describe. Problem was students knew jack would be done. In fact it was so bad if teachers sent too many offenders to the AP office, the teacher got in trouble. And worse, my friend told me of cases wh

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[thegarbz]

Enough for potential emergencies and allowing to coordinate pickup better

Emergencies are handled by school administration. I've never had a problem with my parents contacting me and I didn't have a phone at school. The school even has *gasp* their phone number published on the internet, I know I'm shocked too.

As for co-ordinating pick-up, there's no surprises about when schools start or stop. You know this before you drop your kids off. If you can't figure this out, maybe you should have your kids taken away from you for being so incapable.

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[Junta]

Having a disused phone in a bag is no big deal, and is extra handy in case of an emergency. There's no reason to be particularly limiting, other than 'back in my day' bullshit.

In terms of coordinating pickup, I said explicitly that it's a bus and the bus timing is a bit unpredictable based on traffic and getting out of the school. So instead of sitting in a parking lot for an hour just in case the bus left on time versus the usual delay, I can just start when the bus is like 10 minutes out. Don't say bull

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[spitzak]

Or vice-versa. It is increasingly hard to figure out which way the partisanship will go. IMHO this started with masks for COVID, which initially were a right-wing thing (there were plenty of posts saying you don't have to shut stores if everybody wore masks) and at least to me seemed to be a right-wing thing while "free to live my own life" is more left-wing. Yet it came out exactly reversed, probably because some idiot expressed their own opinion rather than the party line.

I agree that if either party make

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[DaFallus]

Our shit-stain of a governor in Texas recently signed a law banning phones in schools. One of the very few things he has done that I actually agree with.

Re: Excellent

[getto man d]

How bout yaâ(TM)ll start with guns.

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[kc-guy]

How about we let local schools and districts set appropriate policies for their students, rather than issuing broad edicts from national legislators?

Old people

[Cajun Hell]

In Korea, only old people use phones.