A survey carried out by Nexus – Research and Data Intelligence reveals that 86% of the Brazilian population are in favor of some type of restriction on cell phone use within schools. Another 54% are in favor of a total ban on devices and 32% believe that the use of cell phones should only be allowed in teaching and pedagogical activities, with the authorization of teachers. Those who are against any ban total 14%.
2,010 people aged 16 and over were interviewed in the 27 federation units (UFs). The interviews were carried out between the 22nd and 27th of October this year.
According to the data, despite the lowest adherence to any type of restriction in this age group, those between 16 and 24 years old are those who most support the ban: 46% of those interviewed agree with a total ban on the use of devices, while 43% defend the partial use of cell phones, totaling 89% of respondents. Although only 11% of young people are against the ban, 43% of them see the partial use of cell phones in the classroom as a viable alternative.
Among those over 60% years old, 32% are in favor of the restriction; among those aged 25 to 40, the percentage is 31%; and 27% of Brazilians aged 41 to 59 are in favor of some type of restriction. This same age group has 58% of people in favor of a total ban.
The higher the income, the more in favor of the ban are those interviewed, as shown in the study, revealing that 5% of the population with an income above five minimum wages said they were against the proposal that prevents the use of cell phones in schools, compared to 17% in population earning up to the minimum wage. The stricter measure also gains more supporters among the richest: 67% believe that cell phones should be completely banned, compared to 54% of Brazilians in general.
Trend
“As the debate on the imposition of some type of restriction progresses, the tendency of people to approve the measure becomes clear. This is a clear sign that there is strong concern among parents, the students themselves and also the population in general about the topic, otherwise we would not have 86% approval for some measure. There is a clear perception that something must be done to prevent the excessive use of cell phones in schools, in order to preserve the learning process”, says the executive director of Nexus, Marcelo Tokarski.
The psychopedagogue at Instituto Vínculo, Camila Sampaio, is in favor of the partial ban. For her, just as a pedagogical resource, if used at school, the cell phone can be an ally, if used under the teacher’s supervision. She highlights that there are interesting applications that can complement school content, such as the use of augmented reality and video games. quiz customizable. However, she points out that excessive cell phone use can cause cognitive and socio-emotional damage to students, in addition to being harmful to sleep, socialization and interaction and even the ability to communicate verbally with other people.
Excessive cell phone use can harm students, experts reveal – Photo – Isaac Nobrega/ PR
“In the cognitive aspect [o celular] It can cause impairment in attention, memory and problem-solving skills. Cell phones have very attractive stimuli and quick responses, which reduces the student’s ability to concentrate on longer tasks or tasks with few visual resources. It also affects memory due to the convenience of no longer using memory to store important information due to relying too much on what is stored on the cell phone. Students today, because they have quick and ready answers, are failing to stimulate creativity and thinking”, highlights the educational psychologist.
Bill
A bill to limit the use of cell phones in schools is being processed in the Chamber of Deputies, in Brasília. The Ministry of Education even announced that it was preparing a proposal on the topic, but it was never presented. The text approved by the Chamber’s Education Committee prohibits use by children up to 10 years old. From the age of 11, pedagogical activities are permitted.
On the 12th, the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo (Alesp) approved a bill that prohibits the use of electronic devices in public and private schools. The new law restricts the use of cell phones, tablets, smart watches and the like, except in situations related to learning, including for students with disabilities. The proposal restricts use even outside of classrooms, such as during recess and at times when students are not in class. The project goes to governor Tarcísio de Freitas, from São Paulo, for approval.
The matter provides for the creation of equipment storage protocols in education networks and the independence of private schools to regulate how they will apply the measure. It is also foreseen that the students themselves will be held responsible for damage and loss, even when the devices are stored.
The project was approved urgently, by consensus and without amendments. Proposed by Network deputy Marina Helou, it was co-authored by parliamentarians from the right and left and garnered 42 votes. Bill 293/2024 changes the current legislation, in force since 2007. Now, the scope of the standards has been expanded, covering the private network and municipal units.
