South Korea bans phones in students’ classrooms

South Korea has passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones and smart devices during school hours. South Korea is the latest country to take the step to limit phone use among children and teenagers. The law will take effect in March 2026. Lawmakers, parents and teachers argue that smartphone use is affecting students’ academic performance and taking away time from their studies. There are concerns about the ban. Many have argued for and against it, including students. Some question whether banning their use in the classroom will actually work. There are also questions about its wider impact and whether it tackles the root causes of addiction. The bill passed on Wednesday afternoon, with 115 out of 163 members present voting in favor. Most South Korean schools have already implemented some form of smartphone ban. But they are not the only country to do so. Some countries, such as Finland and France, have imposed small-scale phone bans, only in schools for young children. Others, such as Italy, the Netherlands and China, have restricted phone use in all schools. But South Korea is one of the few countries to enshrine such a ban in law. “Children these days can’t put down their smartphones,” said Choi Eun-young, the mother of a 14-year-old in Seoul. But it’s not just children. According to a 2024 government survey, about a quarter of the country’s 51 million people are overly dependent on their phones. But for those aged 10 to 19, the number is more than double, at 43 percent. That number has been rising for years. Meanwhile, more than a third of teenagers say they struggle to control their scrolling through videos on social media. Parents worry that it’s getting in the way of doing other things.