South Korea has passed a law to ban the use of smartphones and smart devices during school hours from March 2026, according to a report RootsMPs have reportedly stated that this step is needed to protect students from excessive phone use and harmful effects of social media addiction. The bill, which won wide bipartisan support in Parliament, is the latest in the global trend of restricting the use of mobile phones between children and adolescents. Countries, including France, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and China, already implement some forms of school phone ban. But South Korea is one of the few people to include such restrictions in the law.

Cho Jung-Hun, an MP of the opposition People’s Power Party, who sponsored the bill, allegedly stated that steps were necessary to protect the good of children. Roots“Our youth are now addicted to social media at a serious level,” he told Parliament. “Our children, their eyes are red every morning. They are on Instagram till 2 or 3 pm.”

Surveys allegedly suggest that South Korea has a higher dependence on digital devices. Almost all 51 million people in the country own smartphones, and a government study of 2024 found that 43 percent of teenagers felt that they were highly dependent on their phones. More than a third of teenagers accepted their screen time to control, while many parents worry about social media bullying and anxiety.

“When they go to school, they are studying, but also forming friendship and participating in various activities. Still they are unable to focus on those things,” a 14-year-old mother in Seoul said, Choi Yun-Yanga said, according to a report, according to a report, according to a report. BBC,

The law gives teachers the right to restrict the use of equipment in school grounds, although exemption will be present for disabled students, for emergency, or for educational purposes. It also encourages schools to provide lessons on healthy use of technology.

Teachers appear divided on the new rule. The Conservative Korean Federation of Teachers Association welcomed this, saying that the ban gave schools “very strong legal basis” to control equipment in schools. In their own survey, about 70 percent of the teachers reported the disruption caused by the smartphone, in which some incidents try to move ahead of the students who have tried to intervene.

However, the Korean teachers and educational activists union said that it does not have an official position, given that some members worry about violating the rights of the students. Critics also argue that the ban does not address deep issues such as educational culture that punishes the country.

High school teacher Cho Young-Surya said, “In the current reality, students have no place to meet friends outside the Cram Schools besides Kakotock or Instagram.” “This law targets the phone rather than the real challenge, which faces students – excessive examination.”

Students themselves have doubts. 18-year-old SEO Min-Jun said, “Instead of removing the phone, I think the first step should be taught to students what they can do without them.” “There is no real education about healthy use, just seizing.”

The new law reflects increasing global anxiety about the impact of technology on children. A study in the Netherlands found that the ban on phone in schools improved students’ attention, while Australia recently expanded restrictions on social media use among teenagers.