Phone powered up, but intellectually powered off?

Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Early this week, the Chinese Ministry of Education issued a notice that prohibits elementary and secondary school students from using mobile phones in class. In China, the issue of whether or not pupils should take mobile phones onto campus is an old and controversial debate. In the internet era, smart phones have become an indispensable of students' daily life. It is undeniable that by virtue of phones, students today can more effectively gain access to a wide range of information. With the aid of high-tech, new teaching and learning methods are being applied and gaining applause. But as school kids lack sufficient self-control, it's not uncommon to see many of them addicted to the internet with their academic performance negatively affected as a result. Furthermore, too much screen time makes more students suffer from myopia at a younger age. It has been thorny for parents, teachers and policymakers to decide how to best restrain their time in front of a screen. Thanks to China's education authorities, teachers and parents are now tending to be more persuaded to supervise school kids from using mobile phones.