However, teachers struggled to enforce their own rules simply because students’ urge to use smartphones was too high.
A total ban now has the benefit of clarity: “It will bring peace in schools. There won’t be any [cyber] bullying, teachers won’t be filmed, the attention span will be trained,” de Marez said.
But a ban also has a downside, he argued, by not teaching kids how to work or engage with smartphones between the crucial ages of 12 and 18, when the part of the brain that manages focus and attention is being formed.
Some suggest that smartphone apps could even help teach children how to have healthy relationships with their devices.
“There are specific applications inside the smartphone to check which apps are being used intensively, [or] how long you’re online, ” said Michel Walrave, a professor in communication studies at the University of Antwerp.
He argued that it could lead to in-class debates about how social media’s techniques can keep people glued to their phones.
In many schools, pupils also already use laptops during class, which could help kids navigate the digital world without long-running exposure to smartphones.
“Do they need a phone if they have a computer? Well, not at all,” Bogaerts said.
