UNESCO has found evidence suggesting a correlation between excessive mobile phone use and reduced educational performance in children. It further noted that high levels of screen time may also be detrimental to their emotional wellbeing.
UNESCO has found evidence suggesting a correlation between excessive mobile phone use and reduced educational performance in children. It further noted that high levels of screen time may also be detrimental to their emotional wellbeing.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — a specialized agency of the UN — has found evidence suggesting a correlation between excessive mobile phone use and reduced educational performance in children. It further noted that high levels of screen time may also be detrimental to their emotional wellbeing.
The report issued a call to ban smartphones from the classroom, stressing that digital technology, including artificial intelligence should always be subordinate to “human-centered vision” of education and never infringe upon face-to-face teacher interaction.
UNESCO cautioned policymakers against an impulsive embrace of digital technology, emphasizing that its advantages for learning outcomes and economic productivity could be overestimated. It highlighted that not all change constitutes progress.
Policymakers were urged to prioritize the “social dimension” of education, in which students receive face-to-face instruction, as online learning becomes more prevalent in universities. UNESCO noted that those urging increasing individualisation may be missing the point of what education is about.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director General, has cautioned that while the digital revolution presents immense potential in education, careful regulation is still necessary and “similar attention must be paid to the way it is used in education,” she said.
She also noted that technology should be used to improve learning experiences and the well-being of students and teachers, rather than harm them. The director general emphasized that it is important to prioritize the needs of learners while also supporting teachers, noting that online interactions cannot replace human connection.
UNESCO warned that countries must ensure careful objectives and principles are in place when using digital technology for education, to protect students’ health and uphold democracy and human rights. It cautioned against potential harm such as invasion of privacy or online hatred.
The agency has observed that countries are increasingly recognizing the importance of prioritizing learners when it comes to digital technology. China, for example, has imposed restrictions on devices in classrooms, allowing them only 30 percent of teaching time and mandating regular screen breaks for students.
An analysis by UNESCO of 200 global education systems found that one in six had implemented laws or guidance banning smartphones from schools, with France introducing such a policy in 2018 and the Netherlands due to follow suit in 2024.
United Kingdom former education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has called for a ban on mobile phones in schools in 2021, citing poor student discipline as the cause. Education unions, however, have dismissed this as a “distraction” and say that schools already have policies in place to govern smartphone usage.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that most schools already have policies in place for mobile phone use. While a full ban on phones may raise practical issues such as parents trying to contact their children or students using them as payment methods, he noted that most schools restrict usage to certain circumstances.
