‘Kids will interact more’: Brazil bans smartphones at school

“When the teacher lets you use the cell phone, it is because he wants you to do searches,” she said. “There’s still a lot of things that schools can’t solve, such as bullying and harassment.”
As of 2023, about two-thirds of Brazilian schools imposed some restriction on phone use, while 28 per cent banned them entirely, according to a survey released in August by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee.
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The Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Maranhao and Goias have already passed local bills to ban such devices at schools. However, authorities have struggled to enforce these laws.
Authorities in São Paulo, the most populous state in Brazil, are discussing whether smartphones should be banned both in public and private schools.
Gabriele Alexandra Henriques Pinheiro, 25, works at a beauty parlour and is the mother of a boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. She also agreed with the restrictions, but said adults would continue to be a bad example of smartphone use for children.
“It is tough,” she said. “I try to restrict the time my son watches any screens, but whenever I have a task to perform I have to use the smartphone to be able to do it all.”
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Institutions, governments, parents and others have for years associated smartphone use by children with bullying, suicidal ideation, anxiety and loss of concentration necessary for learning. China moved last year to limit children’s use of smartphones, while France has in place a ban on smartphones in schools for kids aged six to 15.
Mobile phone bans have gained traction across the United States, where eight states have passed laws or policies that ban or restrict phone use to try to curb student access and minimise distractions in classrooms.
An increasing number of parents across Europe who are concerned by evidence that smartphone use among young kids jeopardises their safety and mental health.
A report published in September by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, said one in four countries has already restricted the use of such devices at schools.
Last year in a US Senate hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to parents of children exploited, bullied or driven to self harm via social media. He also noted Meta’s continued investments in “industry-wide” efforts to protect children.
AP