Chile is among the latest countries to restrict smartphone use in schools, following a global push — as in the U.K. and the Netherlands — to boost student focus and mental health.
Building on this movement, a school in Santiago, the capital of Chile, has launched an initiative that blocks cell phone signals to encourage teenagers to reconnect with their surroundings, according to ABC News.
As a result, instead of scrolling Instagram or filming TikTok dances between classes, students now spend their free time in the library, chatting at the café or playing traditional games in the schoolyard.
To enforce the policy, students place devices in black cases with magnets that disable connectivity. The sealed pouches are unlocked by inspectors after classes, letting students resume phone use.
Research supports these measures. A 2021 King’s College London study found that young people dependent on their phones were twice as likely to show anxiety and three times more likely to experience depression than peers who did not report dependence.
