South Korea has voted to prohibit the use of mobile phones and smartphones in class time, joining a select list of nations whose laws formally include such bans. The legislation, approved on bipartisan lines on Wednesday, will come into effect in March 2026 and is expected to stem increasing fears over screen addiction among young learners.
Fighting Smartphone Addiction in an Hyper-Connected Country
With 99% of South Koreans now online and almost all citizens equipped with a smartphone, the nation is one of the most digitally connected in the world. But there is a price to pay. Government surveys indicate 43% of teenagers are having problems with over-reliance on their phones, tending to spend late nights browsing through social media. Politicians say the trend is having an impact on both school performance and mental health.
Cho Jung-hun, the opposition legislator who introduced the bill, informed parliament that smartphone addiction had escalated alarmingly. “Our children, their eyes are reddish every morning. They are up till 2 or 3am on Instagram,” he said. Studies quoted by Cho indicate that frequent use affects brain development and emotional maturation.
A Divided Reaction from Teachers, Parents, and Students
The new legislation enshrines bans imposed by most schools, but responses are still divided. Some parents welcome the move as a measure against cyberbullying and classroom distraction. Teachers are also divided: one of the largest teaching unions claims almost 70% of classrooms experience disruption from use of mobile phones, while others fear the law is an invasion of students’ rights.
Students themselves remain skeptical. Many argue that banning phones during class won’t solve the deeper issue. “We’ll still be on our phones at home or commuting,” said Seo Min-joon, an 18-year-old high schooler. Others stress that the real pressure comes not from phones, but from the country’s gruelling college entrance exam, which shapes future careers and life opportunities.
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Global Push Against Youth Screen Time
South Korea’s action follows as nations globally struggle with the same issues. Australia has just imposed tougher social media restrictions on teenagers, while research in the Netherlands discovered that classroom concentration increased following a ban on mobile phones in schools. France, Finland, and Italy have also implemented different levels of bans.
Although the law allows phones for educational use or for students with disabilities, its critics say it dwells too much on the technology itself instead of encouraging better digital lifestyle. As described by one Seoul mother: “When they are going to school, they are supposed to study and make friends. But instead they keep returning to their screens.”
The ban within the classroom isn’t a panacea, but it indicates South Korea’s increasing desperation to address smartphone addiction a problem for virtually every generation, not only students.
