According to a UN study, cell phones should be banned in schools to improve learning, lessen interruptions in the classroom, and protect children from cyberbullying.
According to Unesco, the UN Agency for Education, science, and Culture, there is evidence connecting excessive mobile phone use to subpar academic performance and that too much screen time is bad for kids’ emotional stability.
It claimed that by advocating for the outlawing of smartphones, it was making it abundantly clear that all uses of digital technology, including those involving artificial intelligence, must always be in tandem with a “human-centered vision” of education and must never replace face-to-face interactions with teachers.
Unicef warned policymakers against rushing into the use of digital technology, saying that the advantages to academic success and economic efficiency might be overstated and that newer is not always better. “Not all changes signal progress. “Just because something can be done doesn’t mean that it should be done,” it said.
It advised policymakers not to overlook the “social dimension” of education where students receive face-to-face instruction while more learning is migrating online, particularly in institutionsThe article said that proponents of further individualization “might be missing the point of what education is about.”
According to Unesco’s report, nations must make sure they have clear objectives and principles in place to ensure that digital technology in education is beneficial and avoids harm as well as more generally to democracy and human rights, for instance by invading privacy and fanning the flames of internet hostility.
Also read: Apple workers’ shoes are put up for sale for 40 lakhs
excessive or improper student technology usage in the classroom and at home—whether on computers, tablets, or smartphones—could be disruptive, distracting, and hurt learning. There was evidence of a “negative link” between excessive use of digital technology and student achievement, according to extensive worldwide evaluation data mentioned in the article.
Even while technology can provide millions of people with new educational possibilities, it was claimed that many of the world’s poorest people were left out of the advantages. The expense of a computerized educational infrastructure was high, and its environmental effects were frequently overlooked.
