Mexico Becomes Latest Country to Restrict Phones in Schools

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Americas|Mexico Becomes Latest Country to Restrict Phones in Schools

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/world/americas/mexico-bans-phones-schools.html

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Mexico Becomes Latest Country to Restrict Phones in Schools

President Claudia Sheinbaum has sharply limited the use of cellphones and screens in schools. The measures will go into effect in November.

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*A student in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in February.Credit...Daniel Becerril/Reuters*

By Emiliano Rodríguez Mega and Annie Correal

Reporting from Mexico City

Sept. 22, 2026, 5:45 p.m. ET

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Mexico issued a nationwide restriction on Tuesday on cellphones and screens in the country’s educational system, taking a stand in the global debate over how much technology should be allowed in the classroom.

Under the new policy, access to cellphones, smartwatches and other personal devices will be restricted throughout the school day, including during recess and breaks, at both elementary schools and middle schools. High schools and universities were also asked to curb device use but were given more leeway on how.

The measure, which was determined by a consensus among state education officials and did not require Congress to pass a new law, will go into effect in November.

“The goal is to recover creativity and avoid this indiscriminate use of screens that, especially when linked to social media, can have negative impacts,” President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said at her morning news conference on Monday.

“That doesn’t mean that artificial intelligence or screens aren’t useful,” she added, “but not in the classroom.”

Educators around the globe are grappling with how to balance the benefits of using technology in the classroom with the documented hazards of social media and excessive screen time, as parents press both social media giants and schools for accountability. Last month, Meta reached a $17 billion settlement with nearly all U.S. states to resolve claims that Facebook and Instagram had been deliberately designed to addict young users.

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