Students in Brazil will no longer be allowed to use their mobile phones at school, following the passage of a bill by Congress that aims to raise awareness among young people about the harmful effects of screens.

MPs, parents, and the government of President Louis Inácio Lula da Silva want restrictions on the use of mobile phones in primary and secondary schools. More than half of Brazilian children aged 10 to 13 have their own mobile phones. This rises to 87.6% for adolescents aged 14 to 17.

According to data from the Brazilian commission in charge of the internet, nearly two-thirds of schools in the country have adopted restrictions on the use of mobile phones, but 28% ban their use altogether. The bill, which applies to students aged 4 to 17, was approved by the Senate and now must be ratified by Lula.

In order to “preserve the mental, physical and psychological health of children and adolescents,” cell phones will be banned in schools, both in classrooms and during recess, according to the bill. The law allows the use of electronic media only for pedagogical purposes or for accessibility purposes.

82% of parents in Brazil agree with the ban on mobile phones in schools, according to a poll conducted by the Locomotina QuestionPro Institute.

Brazilian Education Minister Camilo Santana has come out in favor of “restricting” cell phones in schools. “Experience around the world shows that their use in classrooms is responsible for attention deficit,” Santana warned in November.

“The mobile phone has put an end to the socialization of people. It needs to be curtailed,” he said. “Banning mobile phones in schools improves student performance, especially for struggling students,” Unesco revealed in a report published in 2023. According to Unesco, less than a quarter of countries have laws or policies banning mobile phones in schools.