While the world takes cognizance of banning smartphone usage in schools, India lags behind

India continues to be one of the nations without a clear, national policy or legislation on the subject, despite the growing global discussion over smartphone use in schools.

Because of concerns about privacy and disruptions to learning, many nations have already banned smartphones in schools; however, India has not yet enacted any explicit legislation on the matter.

Smartphones can give students rapid access to information and learning resources, which can have a big positive impact on education. They may, however, also provide distractions, obstruct in-person communication, and give rise to privacy problems.

According to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team, 60 education systems (30% of the world's total) had enacted smartphone bans by the end of 2023, and by the end of 2024, 19 more had joined, raising the total to 79 or 40% of the total registered education systems globally.

India does not have a specific, nationwide law or policy regarding smartphone use in educational institutions. The approach varies by state and individual schools, with some institutions implementing their own guidelines or restrictions.

However, there has not been a centralized policy at the national level addressing smartphone use in schools across the country.

With smartphones becoming more accessible, students have increasingly turned to social media for entertainment, often at the expense of their studies and well-being.

Instances of cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and distractions during school hours have raised alarm bells among educators, parents, and policymakers.

"Well, technology must be understood in a broader sense, as it is nearly impossible to envision the future without it — India being no exception. The key lies in educating people, especially school-going children, about responsible mobile phone usage. Too often, we adopt trends from the Western world in the name of modernization without truly understanding the purpose and mindful integration of technology, said Professor Sandeep Kumar, Department of Education, University of Delhi, in an exclusive chat with Education Post.

"The state should step in to design specialized smart devices tailored for education — perhaps stripped of unnecessary features like cameras — to better align with the school environment," he added.

"Instead of outrightly banning smartphones, I think a more effective approach would be to replace them with education-centric devices that enhance learning while minimizing distractions. Implementing a well-structured policy in this regard can significantly improve the current education system in Indian schools, ensuring technology serves as a tool for empowerment rather than a source of disruption," Professor Kumar said.

These cases are prompting a larger conversation about how to balance the benefits of digital tools with the risks posed by unregulated access to mobile phones and social media platforms.

In India, the proliferation of mobile phones and social media among school students has been linked to a rise in cybercrimes.

In 2024, the country experienced a significant increase in cybercrime incidents, with an average of 7,000 complaints registered daily, marking a 113.7% rise compared to previous years.

While specific data on crimes committed by school students using mobile phones and social media is limited, studies indicate that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to cybercrimes.

Research involving 300 school students aged 12 to 19 found that teenagers, especially those aged 15 to 18, are more active and quick to adopt new technologies, including social networking sites.

One such instance surfaced in May 2024 when three students from Delhi Public School, Bangalore North, shared an AI-generated picture of two girls in 9th grade on social media.

The photo of the 15-year-old girls began making the rounds on the school's unofficial Instagram group with more than 50 members.

Two minors and one adult were taken into custody by the Bengaluru Police for producing and sharing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated nude photos online.

Over the past year, some bans have been stricter worldwide. For instance, the Chinese city of Zhengzhou further restricted the use of phones in elementary and secondary schools by requiring parents to sign a document stating that a phone was indeed necessary for educational purposes.

In addition to the phone ban currently in place at other educational levels, a "digital break" was proposed for lower secondary schools in France.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia lifted its prohibition after disability organizations objected for medical reasons.

"This mapping (of educational systems) did not include all sub-national jurisdictions in federal countries, although four were assessed in detail. For example, in Australia, two of the nine territories (New South Wales and South Australia) have introduced bans, while in Spain, all but three of the 17 autonomous communities (Basque Country, La Rioja, Navarre) have introduced bans," said a senior official of the GEM.

"In the United States, 20 out of its 50 states have regulations now in place, from the Phone-Free School Act in California to the phone ban for K-12 classrooms in Florida, the ban on students using portable wireless devices in Indiana, and another ban in Ohio," the official added.

However, one strategy for some of these new rules in the US is to provide guidelines, leaving it up to the schools to specify the particular regulations about usage in the classroom.

For instance, in Indiana, school boards are required to create and publish explicit regulations for their schools that specify whether or not students may use their phones during lunch and the potential repercussions for doing so.

Additionally, there are occasional exceptions, such as for students in Louisiana who need special education accommodations and for Ohio residents who have a medical condition that necessitates monitoring.

Due to privacy concerns, some nations have prohibited the use of particular applications in educational contexts in addition to outright bans.

Google Workspace is prohibited in Denmark and France, whereas Microsoft products are prohibited in several German states.

Education level affects bans as well. While some nations, like Israel, prioritize kindergartens, the majority concentrate on elementary schools. Some have expanded the prohibition to include secondary schools, including Turkmenistan.

"We saw children as young as nine years old requesting smartphones, and it was evident that these children were not emotionally ready to navigate the complexities of these devices and the digital world," said Rachel Harper, Principal of St Patrick's Primary School, Ireland, who banned smartphone use in her school.

Apart from the effect on education, privacy issues arise when certain programs gather user information that isn't required for them to function.

Just 16% of nations have laws that specifically protect student privacy in education as of 2023.

Nonetheless, according to one analysis, 89% of the 163 educational technology applications that were suggested during the epidemic were capable of surveying children.

Furthermore, throughout the epidemic, 39 out of 42 governments that offered online education encouraged usage that endangered or violated the rights of children.

"A review showed that some technology can support some learning in some contexts, but not when it is overused or inappropriately used. Having a smartphone in class can disrupt learning. One study that looked at pre-primary through to higher education in 14 countries found that it distracted students from learning,” according to the GEM report 2023.

"Even just having a mobile phone nearby with notifications coming through is enough to result in students losing their attention from the task at hand,” the report added.

"Another study found that it can take students up to 20 minutes to refocus on what they were learning once distracted. Removing smartphones from schools in Belgium, Spain, and the United Kingdom was found to improve learning outcomes, according to a study cited in the report, especially for students that were not performing as well as their peers,” it added.

In 2024, numerous cases highlighting the misuse of mobile phones and social media by school students in India have brought the issue into the spotlight.

Talking about the effects of excessive screen time, Prof. Kumar explained, "There is no doubt that it impacts our thinking and memory. It likely affects 'priming,' a cognitive ability that helps us retrieve stored information.”

“Global research indicates that overuse of screens harms children's mental and physical health, hindering their social development and reducing opportunities for interaction, leading to isolation. A simple experiment with children nearby can demonstrate its impact on memory and recall. This isolation, in turn, can contribute to severe mental health issues,” he added.

"In a collective society like India, 'social technology' is more essential than a purely digital approach. Therefore, judicious use, strategic implementation, and proper awareness can help balance 'Education and Technology.' Abrupt adoption, however, risks creating barriers in children's minds, disrupting educational contexts, and straining the social fabric—potentially leading to an unsolvable crisis." Kumar added.

To address these concerns, the Indian government has launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, enabling the public to report incidents of cybercrimes, with a special focus on crimes against women and children.

(Amin Masoodi contributed to the story)