The massive influx of technology into the daily lives of young people has prompted institutions and families to take action to establish clear boundaries. In recent months, a significant social consensus has emerged regarding the need to legislate the use of smartphones in schools, a demand that seeks to balance the advantages of digital learning with protection against unnecessary risks. Several Spanish regions are already processing decrees and laws that not only restrict the use of these devices but also regulate how screens should be integrated into the teaching process so that they do not become a distraction or a public health problem.
The debate is far from trivial, as concern about the impact of social media and hyperconnectivity has escalated to become a priority for educational authorities. This trend is sweeping the country and advocates for ensuring children's well-being through regulations that prevent excessive screen time, especially in preschool and primary school. The ultimate goal is for schools to remain safe spaces for cognitive and social development, where technology is a means to achieve specific skills and not an end in itself that displaces paper and human interaction.
The pioneering Galician framework and the voice of the families
Galicia has positioned itself at the forefront of this movement with the drafting of a Digital Education Law that boasts being one of the most participatory to date. According to surveys conducted by the Galician Institute of Statistics, more than 93% of parents support limiting mobile phones in classrooms. This legislation aims to address widespread concerns about internet safety and children's ability to distinguish reliable information, issues that still raise some doubts among Galician parents, who see the law as a tool to bring order and security.
One of the most significant aspects of this regulation in Galicia is the prohibition of the educational use of mobile phones until the third year of secondary school (ESO) , except in exceptional cases. Until now, the framework was much more lenient, allowing their widespread use for school activities. Furthermore, the legal text will include, for the first time, the right to digital disconnection, ensuring that students do not have academic obligations linked to screens outside of school hours. There is a strong commitment to a system where communication between the school and home is carried out exclusively through authorized institutional channels, excluding commercial messaging applications.
Time restrictions in the Valencian Community
For its part, the Valencian Community has already approved a decree that meticulously regulates the amount of time primary school students can spend in front of a device. The regulation is quite clear on this point and sets very specific usage percentages : barely 5% of class time in the early grades, gradually increasing to a maximum of 25% in the third cycle of primary school. The aim is to ensure that digital material is never the primary curricular resource, encouraging the shared use of devices to promote social interaction among classmates.
In addition to these temporary limitations, the new Valencian decree focuses on core subjects like Language and Mathematics, increasing their traditional teaching hours. This is not a war against digital technology, but rather a reordering of priorities where reading and arithmetic regain their central importance without technological interference. Furthermore, it has been established that digital assignments cannot be required outside of school hours, thus protecting children's rest time and preventing families from having to shoulder the burden of maintaining or constantly supervising these devices.
Towards a common framework in La Rioja and the rest of Spain
In other regions, such as La Rioja, the parliamentary debate has also gained momentum with proposals seeking to create a uniform regulatory framework that does not depend on the individual will of each educational institution. The intention is to develop guidelines that complement the national law and establish exposure limits strictly adapted to the age of the students. Parliamentary groups agree that it is essential to agree on a common regulatory framework that prioritizes mental and physical health, preventing the digitalization of daily life from translating into a risk of addiction or misuse by young people.
These parliamentary initiatives also suggest the complete removal of screens in Early Childhood Education and the elimination of individual use in Primary Education, allowing them only for acquiring very specific skills under the direct supervision of a teacher. It is proposed that the Ministries of Health and Education work together to design protocols for the safekeeping and return of personal devices, effectively enforcing the ban on their use throughout the school day. This institutional coordination is seen as key to ensuring the measures are effective and have the support of the entire educational community.
Nationally, the landscape reflects a shift in the perception of technology in the classroom. While the progress of digital tools is acknowledged, Spanish society is demanding a return to a certain balance where paper, textbooks, and handwriting coexist with computers. This pact to protect minors in the digital environment seems to be gaining ground against the accelerated digitalization we experienced years ago, demonstrating that caution and security training are now the fundamental pillars upon which the education of the near future is to be built.
The development of these laws in various autonomous communities marks an irreversible path toward a healthier coexistence with technology in schools. By restricting the use of mobile devices and establishing screen time limits, the aim is not only to improve academic performance but also to foster face-to-face socialization and reduce the anxiety generated by constant connectivity. Spanish families have sent a clear message to legislators: prioritize students' maturity before granting them unrestricted access to the internet, laying the groundwork for a more gradual and secure digital transition for future generations.
