Mexico school cellphone restrictions in primary and secondary schools, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Mario Delgado Carrillo, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education, said the National Education System, which includes 34.1 million students served by 2.2 million teachers across 263.6 thousand public and private schools, is ready to begin applying guidelines on the use of digital devices in schools nationwide starting Tuesday, November 3.
The guidelines were developed through a process of dialogue and consultation involving teachers, specialists, education authorities, universities and international organizations. Delgado said the rules are being promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to protect the mental health of children, adolescents and young people.
Delgado warned that excessive screen use and possible addiction to digital platforms can contribute to depression, anxiety, insomnia, self-harm and eating disorders. He also said social media can encourage unrealistic comparisons, with young people measuring their personal worth by likes and digital interactions.
He added that features such as infinite scrolling can expose minors involuntarily to violent content, pornography, hate messages, sexual harassment and cyberbullying. Delgado described the issue as a global concern and said Mexico joins more than 100 countries that have set rules regulating cellphones and mobile devices in schools.
Delgado said the regulation was built with input from school communities. He reported that more than 650 thousand teachers took part in a national consultation on mobile device use, with 80 percent identifying student difficulties maintaining attention, 79 percent citing problems remembering information, 73 percent noting difficulty regulating emotions or handling frustration, and 71 percent observing tiredness or drowsiness.
Eighty-one percent of teachers said measures were necessary.
Delgado stressed that protecting children and adolescents in the digital environment cannot rest solely on parents, teachers and education authorities, and also requires accountability from digital platforms, particularly regarding content that promotes violence, school bullying and sexual abuse.
