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Schools in the Netherlands have begun a nationwide ban on the use of mobile phones in classrooms, while the Swedish Public Health Agency has called on parents to prevent their children under the age of two from being exposed to electronic screens or television to avoid the multiple negative effects on their health.
The ban on mobile phones in secondary school classrooms in the Netherlands began at the beginning of the year, before the measure was extended to include all educational levels from the beginning of the new school year.
The Ministry of Education in The Hague says mobile phones distract students and reduce their ability to concentrate, which has a detrimental effect on academic performance.
Phones may be used in class if they are essential to the lesson content, for example to learn media skills.
Students are also allowed to use their phones if they are dependent on them for medical reasons or a disability, and schools have been given responsibility for implementing the ban in practice.
Dutch television network NOS reported that schools that banned phones during breaks also saw an improvement in the general climate.
For his part, researcher Luc Pauwels from Radboud University in Nijmegen said that breaks “became more social because students end up talking to each other more.”
A ban on mobile phones in schools has previously been controversial in the Netherlands, with several education ministers initially opposed to a nationwide law and some school principals preferring to impose rules locally, the TV network reported.
At the same time, a number of parents said that primary school children should not be given smartphones in the first place, especially because of the potential for social media addiction.
Greece and Italy have also banned mobile phones in classrooms, while Germany has been discussing such a move for some time.
A recent study by the OECD recommended the restricted and responsible use of mobile phones in schools.
Sweden calls for banning infants from screens
In a related matter, the Swedish Public Health Agency called on parents to prevent their children under the age of two from being exposed to electronic device screens or television.
The agency said in new recommendations that children aged two to five should not spend more than one hour a day in front of screens, while those aged six to 12 should not spend more than one or two hours a day in front of a screen.
The agency said that teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 should limit their exposure to screens to two to three hours per day.
“For too long, smartphones and other screens have been allowed into every aspect of our children’s lives,” Swedish Public Health Minister Jakob Forsmed told reporters.
The minister pointed out that Swedish teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 spend an average of 6 and a half hours a day in front of their screens, outside of school hours.
Forsmed noted that this does not leave “much time for community activities, physical activity or adequate sleep,” expressing his regret for the “sleep crisis” in Sweden, as he pointed out that more than half of children aged 15 years do not get enough sleep.
The health agency also recommended that children not use screens before going to bed, and that phones and tablets be kept out of the bedroom at night.
She cited research showing that excessive screen use can lead to poor sleep, depression and body dissatisfaction.
The Swedish government had previously said it was considering banning smartphones in primary schools.
