The movement to ban the use of smartphones among teenagers has increased sharply this year, starting in Australia before being introduced in EU countries and Malaysia. In Singapore, the government will ban the use of phones and smart watches by secondary school students outside of school hours.
This means that the use of both devices is not allowed during breaks and co-curricular activities. This drastic measure was taken to reduce screen time among school students in the South Lion Republic.
Smartphones must be kept in lockers or bags throughout the school session. Smartwatches can still be worn, but students cannot use them for communication purposes or access social media applications while school is still in session. Schools are given the authority to allow exceptions to the use of smartphones when deemed necessary.
The measure taken by Singapore is similar to the guidelines given by the Malaysian Ministry of Education last October. In Malaysia, the majority of schools have already banned students from bringing smartphones to reduce disruptions in class. Next year, users under the age of 16 will no longer be able to register new social media accounts with identity verification carried out through the eKYC system.
