France Takes Action Against Screen Addiction With Smartphone Ban In Schools

In this digital age, excess screen time has become one of the major health concerns, especially among young teenagers. It's really hampering their physical growth, mental stability, and the time they usually spend outdoors. The educational departments and governments of the whole world are finding ways to deal with this global problem.

Other initiatives aimed at helping people overcome screen addiction include conducting workshops on how to reduce screen time, as evidenced by the evolution of terms such as "digital detox," "screen fast," "unplugging," and "disconnecting from the digital realm." These initiatives highlight the growing recognition of the need to strike a balance between technology and a healthy lifestyle. Now, France is going to put a ban on the use of smartphones at school for students up to the age of 15, seeking to give children a "digital pause."

According to a release by the French government, the ban covers the use of mobile phones and any other electronic communications terminal equipment (tablets or smart watches, for example) within schools and colleges.

The law also allows the board of directors of high schools to introduce, in the internal regulations, a ban on the use of these devices by high school students. This ban is valid during school and extracurricular time. It is also effective during all school activities organised outside the school or educational establishment.

However, the law has provided some exceptions. Students with disabilities or a disabling health condition retain authorisation to use medical devices associated with communication equipment (devices allowing diabetic children to manage their blood sugar levels, for example).

Concerning conditional prohibitions, the law allows for the stipulation of circumstances, in particular educational uses, and places in which the internal regulations expressly authorise the use of a mobile phone by students. These are indeed cumulative conditions, the internal regulations having to specify both circumstances and places.