In countries where the use of phones in schools is restricted, students' school performance has also improved, especially among students who do less well in school.
digital media, such as social media and digital games, offers many opportunities in our everyday life. Digital media can be utilized in teaching and used as a learning tool, but it also contains risks related to safety, well-being and concentration. Pupils' daily screen time is large, up to nine hours a day. The corona pandemic increased screen time even more.
Research has highlighted the connection between the use of digital media and well-being. The problematic use of digital media is uncontrolled and excessive, and it has been found to weaken physical, psychological and social well-being. Increased screen time and problematic use of digital media have been found to be connected to, for example, reduced exercise, unhealthy diet and mental well-being challenges. It is important to take into account that the problematic use of digital media can also have a debilitating effect on the child's linguistic development, reading skills and ability to concentrate. Screen time alone is not an influencing factor, but also the ways and content of digital media use affect what kind of consequences the use has.
Although studies have shown that excessive use of digital media is connected to various risks and well-being challenges, globally less than a quarter of countries have laws or guidelines that limit the use of phones in schools. In some countries, the use of phones or certain applications during the school day is restricted, but in Finland such policies have not yet been made. With the help of joint guidelines, parents and teachers could be supported to guide the use of digital media by children and young people in a direction that promotes well-being instead of excessive use.
In Finland, with the latest Pisa results, there has been a discussion about whether the use of digital media, especially phones, should be restricted in schools. In Finland, 41 percent of students felt that digital devices interfered with their concentration. In countries where the use of phones in schools is restricted, students' school performance has also improved, especially among students who do less well in school. The moderate use of digital media at school and in free time is therefore linked to better learning results and well-being.
Would it be time for us in Finland to act to promote digital well-being, ability to concentrate and learning?
Krista Hylkilä
dissertation researcher
Aino Peltonen
university teacher
DigiWellbeing research group, University of Oulu
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