Using cell phones in the classroom can harm young people’s learning and behavior. Find out more!
A recent study conducted and published by the nonprofit Common Sense found that 971% of preteens and teens used their cell phones during school hours, an average of 43 minutes per day. The study considered “school hours” to be Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The average number of times students picked up their cell phones during school hours was 13 times, with the maximum number of times being 229. The study involved 203 young people from the United States, aged between 11 and 17.
According to the research, the type of application most used by young people during class time was social media, where 32% of the time spent using their cell phones was dedicated to this type of app. In second place is YouTube, with 26% of the time spent using their cell phones during class time.
Learn more about this study and discover how cell phone use can impact the lives of these young people.
Cell phone in the classroom
The director of Urmes, a company specializing in school health with almost 50 years in the market, José Augusto Silva, assesses the situation in Brazilian schools as similar to the portrait produced by this American study. However, for him, it is important not to consider this simply abuse on the part of students, since they already come from home with this habit and have already learned that they can use it.
The study makes the reservation that the policies of use of cell phones in the classroom vary greatly between schools, and students react differently to restrictions. Silva explains that in Brazil, some city and state governments have banned or regulated cell phone use in public schools, and that several private schools are also concerned about the situation.
He warns that simply banning it is not the best thing to do, as the way forward is to raise awareness among parents and students, which can be done through projects on the use of screens, discussion groups, professional listening and lectures with parents, to talk about the prevention of diseases that can arise from excessive use of cell phones.
Cell phone use and health
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the recommendation to limit screen time for children up to 5 years old to 1 hour per day. For babies under 1 year old, the recommendation is to completely ban screen time. The guidelines are part of the organization's efforts to combat sedentary lifestyles and obesity among children.
The expert points out that awareness about the impacts on health should be present in the work of schools in dealing with the use of cell phones during studies. According to him, there is a convenience for parents, who seek to compensate for the absence of daily life and even distract children, which can create a dangerous addiction, which does not help in the formation of good behavior, in addition to bringing health risks.
The WHO recommends that excessive screen time be replaced with physical activity and interaction with other people, as well as other types of content outside of digital. Children up to four years old should be active for about 180 minutes throughout the day.
*With information from Valor – Globo
