Denmark becomes first country in Europe to ban phones in schools

Rasmus Meyer, chairman of a government commission investigating growing discontent among children and young people, said removing mobile phones from school environments gives young people a much-needed "break" from the digital world, helping them learn to engage with real communities and develop their ability to concentrate.

The commission's report, published last month, sounded the alarm about the growing depth of digitalisation in the lives of children and young people.

Among the 35 recommendations made was a proposal to amend the law to completely ban the use of phones in primary and secondary schools, as well as in after-school clubs, a change the Danish government said it would implement nationwide. The committee also stressed that children under 13 should not own personal smartphones or tablets.

Speaking in an interview with the Guardian, Mr Meyer called on the whole of Europe to adopt a similar ban and suggested that the European Union (EU) issue common regulations for the whole bloc.

“If in five years we find out that phones are actually useful, then we could consider bringing them back,” he said. “But I don’t think that will happen.”

According to him, banning phones in schools not only helps students escape the influence of the virtual world, but also teaches them how to connect socially in the real world, improve attention and respect the school space as an important social institution that should not be invaded by digital platforms.

In schools that have implemented the ban, children are able to concentrate better, interact more with each other, and there is a marked reduction in private conversations in the classroom, Meyer said.

Spending time at school without phones is expected to help children practice communication skills and build stronger relationships with friends outside the classroom.

“These changes are happening so fast that society is not able to adapt,” he added. “This is our effort to stay ahead of the curve and push back against the commercialization of children’s lives through digitization.”

The commission also found that 94% of Danish teenagers had social media accounts before the age of 13, despite the minimum age set by many platforms. Children aged 9 to 14 spend an average of three hours a day watching TikTok and YouTube.

Despite the well-documented link between technology use and attention and self-esteem problems in children and adolescents, many children in Denmark and across Europe still bring their phones to school every day.

“We don’t allow kids to bring PlayStations into the classroom,” said Rasmus Meyer, “but that’s exactly what happens when we allow them to bring phones.”

He warned that child safety online is being taken too lightly. “It is shocking that society accepts the fact that many children are spending 8–10 hours a day on their phones. We are always concerned about their safety in the real world, but we have almost abandoned our role as parents and as a society in protecting them online.”

At Skolen på Grundtvigsvej Primary School in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen (Denmark), the ban on cell phones has been in place since 2018. Principal Helle Bjerg shared: “The rules are very clear, students are not allowed to bring their phones with them during school hours. When entering the school, they must hand in their phones and will only get them back at the end of the school day.”

The results were clear: children were less distracted, and they talked and interacted more with each other. However, she also admitted that digitizing learning materials still required students to use computers, which still posed challenges.

At a nearby after-school club, set in a large, cozy house, kids are allowed to bring their phones, but are discouraged from using them. A small but meaningful sign greets them at the door: “You are entering a phone-free zone, take a break from your screen.” And in a more serious vein, the sign warns: “Phones will always be there. Friends will not.”

“Since the phones are gone, the kids are playing more together,” says Hjalte Petersen, a teacher at the school and club, in the kitchen, where the scent of fresh bread wafts through the air. “Before, there were no rules about electronic devices, and a lot of kids just sat alone, lost in their own world on their screens.”

Taking away the phones has revived the spirit of bonding among children. Without screens to look at, children are forced to find something else to do to avoid boredom, and that often means playing together.