South Korea passed a bill on Wednesday (August 27) to ban the use of mobile phones and other digital devices in school classrooms nationwide, as concern grows about the impact of heavy social media use among the youth.
The ban, which will take effect from March next year, makes South Korea the latest country to restrict the use of smartphones and social media among minors. The legislation imposing the ban garnered bipartisan support in Wednesday’s parliamentary vote.
Surveys show South Korea is among the world’s most digitally connected countries, with 99% of South Koreans online and 98% owning a smartphone, according to the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, the highest rate among the 27 countries it examined in 2022 and 2023.
About 37% of middle- and high-school students say social media affects their daily lives, while 22% feel anxious if they cannot access their social media accounts, a survey by the Education Ministry found last year.
(Production: Minwoo Park, Jungmin Ryu)
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