Psychologists propose restricting mobile phone use in Azores schools

The president of the Azores section of the Order of Psychologists, Marco Santos, proposed this Thursday to impose restrictions on the use of mobile phones in schools in the region in order to prevent abuse and promote interpersonal relationships between students.

“Students will certainly have time to use smartphones at home and elsewhere. In the case of schools, interaction is fundamental, without technology, without anything,” insisted the Azorean psychologist during a hearing at the Regional Assembly Committee on Social Affairs, which met in Ponta Delgada.

The deputies heard the Order of Psychologists on the proposal of the Bloc de Esquerda, which advocates “promoting the healthy use of technology in schools”, namely a ban on the use of mobile phones for students in the 1st and 2nd cycles of basic education as a way to minimize the excessive use of screens by school-age children.

BE also wants to ensure that all students in the region have free access to paper resources.

Marco Santos agrees with the introduction of restrictions on the use of “smartphones” and “tablets” in educational institutions in the region and even warns of the risks that new technologies can pose for children, who stop communicating with each other and do almost nothing physical exercise during recess, “because they are always talking on their mobile phones.”

“They use technologies that can lead to some moments where it constitutes ‘cyberbullying’ or perhaps the very characteristic ‘body shaming’, that is, making fun of other people’s bodies,” warned the president of the Azorean Section of the Azores Order of Psychologists, recalling that there are several countries that are already “rejecting digital textbooks”, especially among first- and second-year students.

An idea that is also defended by José Freire, president of the Desliga Association, created in the Azores in 2022 with the aim of raising awareness of the risks of the Internet, especially among children, who are concerned not only about the excessive use of “smartphones” in the school environment, but also in the family environment.

“These kids don’t sleep! They come to school completely sleepy, at 8:30 in the morning. They take their backpack, put it on their desk and sleep! And we let them sleep…”, complains the teacher, referring to This is similar to what you usually see in classrooms among students who spend too much time on their mobile phones.

Jose Freire understands that it is necessary not only to raise awareness among students and teachers about the negative consequences of unregulated Internet use, but also to warn parents and guardians.

The teacher also leaves a warning: “We are killing our children, slowly! It is a drug, it kills everything!”