Martin has fixed eyes on the mobile phone. The fingers move fast on the screen. Copenhagen’s cold does not stop him. Another video on Tiktok and then has to enter school. The bell screeches throughout the building and the boys begin to crowd the desks. Martin does not despair; There will still be time to crog on social networks. After all, the professor is late. But something is about to change.
Denmark has announced an important novelty. The Scandinavian country will prohibit the use of smartphones in school buildings. All pupils between seven and sixteen will no longer be able to bring cell phones to the classrooms. The recommendation comes from the Danish commission for well -being, a government body established in 2023 to investigate the causes of the discomfort among young people. In reality, the alarm was launched already years ago. Now, however, Copenhagen has convinced himself to transform him into law. “We must claim the school as an educational place, where there is room for reflection,” he said Mattias TesfayeMinister for Childhood and Education. Who concluded in a peremptory way: “The classroom must not become the extension of the teenage bedroom”. Even if some exceptions will be planned, Denmark seems to be serious. The executive would like to go further. Prevent Under 13 from owning their own smartphone. A way not to leave the children at the mercy of the network, where they have difficulty discern the useful information from harmful content.
The Danish initiative is certainly the most radical proposed so far. But it opens to interesting scenarios. Above all because it is a country that has made happiness the cornerstone of its policy to be implemented. Despite the rain and cold, we Mediterranean we would say. Can Gaiezza exist without the sun? Can you still smile knowing that you have to pay the highest taxes in Europe? Yet, in these parts, emotional well -being becomes a government philosophy. The essential element from which to result in economic prosperity. And education has always played a key role. The right to study is one of the architraves of the Scandinavian company. And those who decide to go to the university are entitled to perceive a monthly salary. Thus prohibiting smartphones since childhood has the aim of “returning time to recreational activities, friends and family, without neglecting the game and reading”. The dangers of technology continue to discuss all over the world. The need is to protect the most fragile individuals who approach the world of the Internet, primarily teenagers.
Different approaches
Teenagers spend time on the smartphone, sacrificing interactions with others(Samsung)
However, many of the initiatives undertaken remain a dead letter. Or at the most confined to the local level. An example in this sense is the United Kingdom. There are several schools that have banned cell phones. But what is missing is a discipline at national level. And Italy? A few days ago a new study from the Bicocca University of Milan was announced. The conclusions are unappealable. According to researchers, the “intensive and early use of smartphones does not favor learning, on the contrary, reduces the performance of a substantial part of the student population”. The research was also appreciated by the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara. That he said he was convinced that he wanted to put a embankment to electronic devices “in the first cycle schools”.
The case of Estonia
But in the old continent there are also those who explore other paths. And among the most avant -garde countries there is Estonia. The Baltic Republic has decided to bring artificial intelligence into the classrooms, guaranteeing free access to all students. The goal is very simple. “We must learn to use it,” as Estone President Alar Karis said. Who wanted to reiterate a fundamental point: “the pupils data will be protected, following the European legislation”. For now the initiative will concern over 16. But in the future it could also be extended to the youngest. It should be remembered that Estonia has been focusing on education for years as a weapon of social emancipation. And the strong innovation that the country is experiencing seems to give reason to this type of policy. Beyond the effectiveness or not of the different approaches, one thing is certain. In the future, it will be necessary to do more and more accounts with technology. Assume greater awareness of these tools remains necessary. Defending the most fragile users who are preparing to take the first steps in the Mare Magnum of the Net.
