[News Terms] 'Digital Comma', Disconnecting for Both Students and Office Workers

Ban on Smartphone Use in Schools
Implemented in Advanced Countries like France and the US
South Korea Also States "Banning Smartphone Use Is Not a Human Rights Violation"

Recently, the French government announced plans to expand the 'Digital Pause' regulation, which was piloted in some middle schools last September at the start of the new school year, to all elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide next year. Currently, France is conducting a pilot program banning smartphone use in 200 middle schools. When students arrive at school, their smartphones are collected and stored in separate lockers, then returned to them when they leave.

The 'Digital Pause' policy refers to the physical prohibition of smartphone use on school premises to help students focus on learning and social interaction. This policy is the result of recommendations from the 'Screen Use Expert Committee,' established by French President Emmanuel Macron, which released a report in March.

[Photo by AI Image]

The committee concluded in its report that "there is clear consensus on the negative direct and indirect effects of digital devices on sleep, sedentary lifestyles, lack of physical activity, overweight and obesity, and vision."

The report recommended ▲banning mobile phone use before age 11 ▲providing phones without internet access to children aged 11 to 13 ▲blocking access to social networking services (SNS) before age 15 ▲and allowing limited access only to 'ethical SNS' after age 15. Popular global platforms among teenagers such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are excluded from the category of ethical SNS. The report concluded that these platforms should only be permitted after the age of 18.

Alexandre Portier, Minister Delegate for Academic Achievement at the Ministry of Education, recently stated in a media interview that "schools participating in the Digital Pause pilot program have shown positive responses," emphasizing that "academic achievement cannot be expected without creating a school atmosphere dedicated to learning."

The Digital Pause policy is also being implemented in several states in the United States. Public opinion in the U.S. strongly supports banning mobile phones during class. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center on the 22nd of last month, 68% of American adults responded that "mobile phone use should be banned during classes for middle and high school students." Furthermore, 36% said that mobile phone use should be banned even during breaks.

A student lying on the teacher's desk holding a cellphone during a middle school class in Hongseong-gun, Chungnam [Photo source=Online community]

The top reason for support was improved concentration in class (91%), followed by enhanced student social skills (70%), prevention of cheating (50%), and reduction of school violence (39%). Reasons for opposition included the need for frequent contact with children (60%), practical difficulty for teachers to enforce the ban (37%), belief that children's phone use is the parents' responsibility (32%), and that phone use helps learning (31%).

In South Korea, debates over banning smartphone use in schools among adolescents are also heated. When some schools banned smartphone use, students and parents protested. Since 2014, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has judged about 300 complaints related to student smartphone collection as human rights violations.

However, after ten years, the NHRCK reversed its stance. On the 7th of last month, the full committee dismissed a complaint claiming that "high schools collecting and storing students' mobile phones during school hours based on school regulations constitutes a human rights violation," with an 8 to 2 vote stating that "it is difficult to view this as a human rights violation."

The dissenting opinion argued that "serious human rights violations such as cyberbullying and illegal filming by teachers occur," and that "allowing phone use during breaks leads to conflicts and disciplinary actions, significantly infringing on teachers' and students' right to learn." Conversely, the majority opinion held that "school regulations requiring blanket submission of phones without considering alternatives excessively restrict freedom of communication."

[Photo by AI Image]

The Digital Pause is not only related to students. It also connects to workers' 'Right to Disconnect.' The Right to Disconnect refers to employees' right to not receive work-related calls, messages, or contacts outside of working hours to protect their privacy. There is ongoing discussion about legally recognizing this right to support work-life balance (WLB) for workers who cannot put down their smartphones in a hyper-connected society.