From March 2026, South Korea legally banned smartphones in all classrooms. At the same time, AI digital textbooks expanded to six subjects. Block the device, bring in the AI β what question is Korea's education system actually trying to answer?
The Netherlands went all-in on a national school smartphone ban in January 2024. Two years later, 75% of schools report improved concentration. But new research warns that total bans are not a silver bullet β and may even backfire.
As of March 2026, roughly 60% of schools worldwide ban or restrict smartphones β up from 40% just a year earlier. France is expanding its ban to high schools, Germany is tightening rules state by state. AI walks into the classroom; the smartphone waits outside. How should we make sense of this paradox?