Overview
- Guanajuato’s Congress concluded forums in Celaya on regulating phones in schools, with officials framing regulation as protection rather than a blanket presence of devices in classrooms.
- Input from the forums will guide protocols on limited pedagogical use and family co‑responsibility, with debate informed by data showing smartphone access for more than 92% of adolescents and significant use among younger children.
- In Peru, a draft bill on school phone use remains open for public, private and citizen comments, as education leaders call for clear controls, teacher oversight and evaluation of school Wi‑Fi to support equity.
- Since 2023, 29 U.S. states have mandated bans or strict limits, and Ohio moved to full‑day restrictions by early 2026, using locked pouches or storage and allowing medical exceptions such as glucose‑monitoring apps.
- Ohio principals report more face‑to‑face socialization and longer concentration spans after restrictions, while students raise worries about emergency reachability and phone‑based multi‑factor authentication for college applications.