South Korea has handed a invoice to ban using cell phones and different digital gadgets at school school rooms nationwide, amid rising issues in regards to the impact of social media on younger folks.
The ban, accredited on Wednesday and set to take impact in March subsequent 12 months, makes South Korea the newest nation to impose restrictions on smartphone and social media use for minors.
The nation is among the many world’s most digitally linked nations, with 99% of South Koreans on-line and 98% proudly owning a smartphone, in accordance with the US-based Pew Analysis Centre.
That is the best fee among the many 27 international locations the centre examined in 2022 and 2023.
The legislation imposing the ban obtained backing from either side of parliament in Wednesday’s vote.
“Our youth’s dependancy to social media is at a critical degree now,” mentioned Cho Jung-hun, a politician from the opposition Individuals Energy Social gathering and a sponsor of the invoice.
“Our youngsters, their eyes are pink each morning. They’re on Instagram till 2 or 3am,” he added.
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A survey carried out by South Korea’s Training Ministry discovered final 12 months that about 37% of middle- and high-school college students say social media impacts their each day lives.
The survey additionally discovered that 22% the identical group of scholars really feel anxious if they can’t entry their social media accounts.
Many colleges in South Korea already implement their very own smartphone restrictions, which the brand new invoice now formally establishes.
Digital gadgets will stay allowed for college kids with disabilities or when used for instructional functions.
Some youth advocacy teams have opposed the smartphone ban, saying it might violate youngsters’s human rights.
Australia has just lately expanded its groundbreaking social media ban for youngsters, whereas a July examine revealed that prohibiting cell phones in Dutch faculties has improved college students’ focus.
