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Mexico will ban cell phones in elementary and secondary schools to reduce social media distractions and help students concentrate, the government announced Monday.
Under a rule taking effect in November, students will be barred from using mobile phones in class or during recess, except in cases of emergency or during planned school events.
"The goal is to recover creativity and avoid indiscriminate use of phones, which, in relation to social media, can have very negative effects," President Claudia Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.
The restriction will not apply to kids in their last three years before college or to university students.
The government ordered the change after consulting with educators and specialists on the harmful effects of social media addiction on small kids and adolescents.
Eighty-one percent of teachers surveyed said restricting cell phone use in schools is necessary, according to the Education Ministry.
Countries around the world, from France to New Zealand to Peru, have implemented some degree of restriction on cell phones in schools as the dangers of excessive use have become clear, including depression, body image problems, social isolation, and risk of suicide.
France was among the first countries to act, passing a law that bars students up to about age 15 from using phones anywhere on school grounds, including during breaks, with exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, or students with disabilities.
New Zealand has taken a more localized approach, with individual schools setting their own rules on when students may use phones rather than enforcing a single nationwide ban, though education officials there have acknowledged that a total prohibition would be difficult to apply consistently across the country.
Peru and several other nations have similarly moved to limit phone access during the school day, reflecting a broader shift among governments and education ministries to address growing concern over screen time and its effects on children's mental health and academic performance.
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