Numerous studies confirm that excessive mobile phone use leads to addiction, negatively impacts students’ academic performance, and adversely affects young people’s social lives and health. In line with several other European countries, Hungary has introduced a unified regulation, effective from 1 September, restricting the use of smart devices during school hours. This decision is supported by the majority of Hungarians, according to a survey by the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS).
The need to regulate mobile phone use has become evident based on experiences from recent years, as excessive use has been shown to significantly hinder children’s academic results and negatively impact their physical and mental well-being. The 2023 report from UNESCO and the United Nations highlights that excessive use of smart devices is linked to declining educational performance, reduced concentration abilities, and negatively affects children’s emotional stability. Therefore, these organizations recommend limiting smartphone use in schools worldwide.
Several European Union member states, including France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia, and Romania, as well as the United Kingdom, have already taken decisive steps to remove mobile phones from schools. In France, the use of mobile phones during classes has been banned since 2010, and since 2018, they are also prohibited during breaks and meal times. Sweden opted for mobile-free schools due to deteriorating PISA results.
In Hungary, from September this year, restricting mobile phone use in schools has become mandatory. According to a survey conducted by KINCS, the majority of Hungarians agree with this decision, believing that students’ use of smartphones should be limited during school hours. In a national representative survey conducted by KINCS in March, 94 per cent of respondents supported the restriction of smart device use in lower primary schools, 89 per cent in upper primary schools, and 73 per cent in secondary schools.
Nine out of ten Hungarians believe that smartphone use can lead to addiction, and they also think it negatively affects young people’s social lives and health.
77 per cent of respondents believe that smartphone use worsens young people’s physical health, while 72 per cent think it negatively impacts their neurological development, and 71 per cent agree it is bad for their mental state. The vast majority (81 per cent) of respondents feel that excessive gadget use results in young people spending less time in real communities, and 72 per cent believe this has led to an increase in loneliness among the youth compared to earlier times. Parents with children under the age of 18 are even more convinced: 96 per cent believe that smartphone use leads to addiction.
The latest KINCS survey found that digital devices are introduced into children’s lives at a very young age, with six out of ten parents reporting that their child started using them before the age of six. However, only a quarter of respondents believe that children should be familiar with digital devices before the age of six. While 80 per cent of parents consider online content dangerous for their children, only half of the families use some form of digital child protection service.
Research on media usage habits and online presence in Hungary suggests that parents see the main risks of smartphone use in reduced physical activity, the potential for cyberbullying, and the development of internet addiction in their children. Both domestic and international studies consistently highlight more risks than benefits in children’s constant school mobile phone use, making the nationwide restriction of mobile phones in Hungarian schools this academic year a progressive and important step. Naturally, in certain cases, such as when necessary for learning, the use of phones is permitted.
Related articles:
