In January 2025, the Law No. 15,100/25, which brought about a significant change in everyday school life: restrictions on the use of cell phones and electronic devices in public and private schools across the country, covering not only class time but also recess and break times. The measure aims to improve concentration of the students and reduce the negative impacts of excessive screen time, a growing concern among educators and families.

Two recent studies help put the effects of this change into perspective and provide concrete evidence that the restriction may be linked to improvements in student learning and classroom dynamics.

The first study was conducted by Stanford University (U.S.) in partnership with the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Department of Education. The city was a pioneer in adopting the ban as early as 2024, even before the national law was enacted.

The study revealed significant results: learning outcomes in mathematics increased by 25.7% and in Portuguese by 13.5% during the 2024 school year. In educational terms, this gain is equivalent to an additional two-month period of learning in a single school year.

According to Secretary of Education Renan Ferreirinha, the data confirm the negative impact of digital distractions on academic performance. “The study showed, through quantitative analyses, that banning cell phone use yielded very concrete results—using very robust statistical and econometric methods—while controlling for other variables that could affect the outcome,” he said.

The survey included more than 900 principals from the municipal school system, representing 90% of Rio’s public elementary schools. Every two months of assessment, the indicators showed progress, suggesting that the positive effects of the measure tend to become more entrenched over time.

National Monitoring: Participation and Challenges

On a national level, the Equidade Institute, in partnership with the Parliamentary Front for Education of the Chamber of Deputies, investigated the implementation of Law 15.100/25. The study surveyed more than 1,000 students in upper elementary and high school, drawing from a national sample of 149 public schools.

The results show a high level of compliance: 51% of students reported that they no longer bring their cell phones to school. Among those who still do, 33% said they bring them every day, 7% almost every day, and 6% only occasionally.

Despite this progress, the survey showed that one in six students still uses a cell phone in class, mainly to talk to family, send messages, or access social media. Some schools have developed their own strategies to deal with the situation. In Samambaia (Federal District), for example, students are allowed to bring their phones, but they must remain turned off inside their backpacks. If there is a need to contact parents, the school counselor facilitates the communication.

Studies provide, for the first time, solid evidence for assessing the impacts of this educational policy. And, based on the initial results, it seems clear that rethinking the role of screens in the school environment could be a crucial step toward restoring the focus and quality of learning.

Sources: Agência Brasil and G1.

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