Amid the use and abuse of mobile phones at schools, the Buenos Aires City government has decided to intervene. Via a resolution issued by the City Education Ministry, the use of cellular devices phones at educational institutions across all three levels will be regulated.
Officials say they intend to improve the overall quality of learning, stimulating children to focus on the class and on socialisation during break times.
Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge Macri announced the measures in August, clarifying that the new rules were agreed with the consent of teaching representatives, specialists and NGOs.
“We hope it has a positive impact on the 566,000 students of the 2,291 schools of state initial, primary and secondary schools of the City," said Macri at an event announcing the change.
The rules, however, will depend on which stage of education the student is at. At kindergartens, nurseries and primary schools, the responsibility will lie with parents as to whether their children take mobile devices in their backpacks. Either way, the use of phones will be banned in classrooms and at break-times.
If content needs to be broadcast, an institution’s digital devices must be used, not those of students.
At secondary schools, the rules will be different. Phones and tablets must be stored during class, except for previously planned educational activities that are authorised by teachers.
School authorities are responsible for communicating guidelines and conditions for the proper use of devices to the entire educational community (students, teachers and families).
Measures arising from non-compliance with the rules – such as, for instance, withholding devices until the end of the school day – will be set and defined by each institution.
Children who, due to any disability, require the use of a personal digital device for support, are exempted from the new rules.
‘Full attention’
Buenos Aires City Education Minister Mercedes Miguel, said the new regulations were an attempt to lower the use of devices by young students.
“The decision is within the Buenos Aires Aprende [“Buenos Aires Learns”] programme and seeks to improve learning. And that is why it is key to have student’s full attention in class,” she stated.
“We’re very concerned with children’s screen time,” said Miguel.
Experts say that the amount of time kids spend on devices is of concern to families and teaching professionals.
Psychologist Andrea Urbas considered that “the problem of the distraction caused by personal mobile phones is something increasingly mentioned by teachers and families as well.”
However, Urbas, the co-founder of the specialist NGO Chicos.net, also considered that “during isolation these technologies helped us continue with education processes.”
That is why, when it comes to the use of technology, she proposes a clear discrimination depending on the age of children.
“At primary school it is natural that neither class nor the break are appropriate times for their use. In the higher cycle it’s already understandable and what we need are guidelines, which must be agreed on by the entire community, including children, for agreements to be complied with effectively," she said.
Urbas highlighted that school is an excellent space for youngsters to learn about being citizens and digital security, fake news, privacy, online risks, etc. These are key teachings because later they will use devices more regularly.
The truth is that many schools “already had cohabitation codes on the issue, but the new regulations will surely provide more support to teachers and school authorities to carry out those digital guidelines,” said Urbas.
When it comes to devices, paediatrician Silvina Pedrouzo said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be underestimated.
“Ever since the pandemic we have noticed an increasing use of devices and technology in society’s everyday life. When this happens with children there can be problems and significant delays in their development and language skills,” said Pedrouzo, the president of the Information Technology and Communication Technology of the SAP Argentine Paediatrics Society.
“When they are under two years old, they do not understand the virtual nature of screens, they only receive stimuli from light and movements. That can calm us down a bit, but it does not contribute to their cognition,” she warned.
Exposure
The SAP's official guidelines on the topic discourages exposure to screens prior to two years old, due to the immaturity of the central nervous system and psychic apparatus.
The guide expands in the following ages: between two and five years old, it recommends up to half an hour to an hour of entertainment screens per day, always accompanied by an adult who can select and interpret the contents.
For the period from five to 12 years old, the maximum entertainment screen time recommended goes up to an hour and a half, preferably accompanied by an adult.
Whatever happens, families must be alert to the use at the key developmental stage. According to Dr Pedrouzo, “we paediatricians see an increasing number of children who get their first mobile phone when they turn eight or nine years old.”
By the time those kids arrive to their teens, they have a different level of independence in the consumption of content while facing a stage of greater vulnerability. This is the time when adults must get most involved and talk about issues, such as the right to privacy and the prevention of risks as cyberbullying, grooming, dangerous challenges, alterations in image perception, etc.
Despite the risks, Pedrouzo warned that prohibition is not the answer.
“We should remember that banning the device does not solve the issue of this tool,” said the paediatrician. “We have to move towards a controlled and balanced use. And everyone, both children and adults, have to seek a healthy digital diet appropriate to every age.”
Research shows that early and prolonged exposure to electronic media is associated with a greater risk of children developing psychophysical symptoms, especially problems related to social isolation, attention alteration and hyperactivity, sleep alteration, anxiety disorders and depression.
It has also been proven that high exposure to television as background in children under five reduces the quantity and quality of the interactions between the child and their careers and displaces playing time. This negatively affects the use and acquisition of language, attention, cognitive development and executive functions. It also affects memory and attention, which causes problems in behaviour, school performance and health in general.
Firm stance
Every institution is different. Rubén Machicote, head teacher of Euskal Echea primary school in the Buenos Aires City neighbourhood of Montserrat, told the Perfil newspaper that “we have kept a firm stance on the issue for years,” but that parent buy-in is key.
“The idea is to optimise teaching with the use of technology, but in primary school we prefer to use those provided by the school and we have an IT room for that. In primary school we ask families that their children, where possible, do not use their devices during school hours, even during breaks. Many keep them muted in their backpacks, to stay in touch with their families when the day is over or when they go out to eat,” he continued.
“The truth is that, in general, we haven’t had problems with compliance with these guidelines because our educational community agrees with this stance,” it added.
The head teacher highlighted that “the use of networks in smartphones by minors has been conflictive at times. For example, anonymously pestering a classmate or posting a YouTube video during classes.”
A report published by UNESCO in late 2024 warned against the excessive use of smartphones and PCs for education purposes. The body said that “the benefits they provide disappear when used in excess or without the guidance of a teacher.”
According to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, “the digital revolution has an immeasurable potential, but attention must be paid to the way it is used.”
The report shows that some technologies can help improve learning in some contexts. Yet it highlights that the use of phones can distract students. Even the simple fact of having a mobile phone nearby, with notifications on the screen, is enough for them to lose their attention. Another report concluded that students can take up to 20 minutes to regain their focus on what they were learning.
Thus, the trend to limit the use of digital devices in different educational cycles is expanding to more countries. In fact, the United Nations statistics estimate that one out of every four countries has already banned or limited the use of smartphones at school, whether by law or recommendation of their authorities.
The countries are from all continents and levels of development – France, the Netherlands, China, Italy, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, Greece, Singapore and New Zealand are a few examples. Some nations ban them entirely, others only permit their use in class, if the teacher has an educational requirement. For certain cases, it is left up to certain ages.
– TIMES/PERFIL
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