Restricting Gadgets in Schools: An Effort to Restore Children's Learning Spaces

Almost no object is closer to children today than a gadget. It has transformed into an alarm clock, a notebook, a camera, a playground, and a window to the world. Through a screen in their hands, children can learn, communicate, and access almost all knowledge in seconds. However, the same device is also slowly shifting their attention, changing how they interact, view the world, and form entirely new learning habits.

This change has occurred so rapidly that it often goes unnoticed. In family rooms, on public transport, in restaurants, and even in school environments, children are increasingly more familiar with screens than with conversation. Time that was once filled with playing with friends, reading books, or simply observing the surroundings has now been replaced by endless scrolling. Gadgets are no longer just tools; they have become the space where children spend most of their time.

A 2023 UNICEF study revealed that 99.4% of Indonesian children have used the internet. Of these, 89% access it daily, with an average screen time of 5.4 hours, primarily via mobile phones. More worryingly, over half of the children reported having seen explicit content online, and nearly half had experienced digital bullying. These figures show that the issue is no longer just about access to technology, but about how children are growing up. The debate over gadget use in schools is therefore not simply about permission or prohibition. The more fundamental question is how to ensure children do not lose their spirit and space to grow amidst the relentless flow of digital technology.

Behind every notification, short video, and content recommendation lies a battle for human attention. Scientists call this the ‘attention economy’. Every feature is designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible, making the ability to focus increasingly rare. Yet, since its inception, the school has been built on a different foundation. School is not merely a place to transfer knowledge from teacher to student. It is a space where learners train their attention, develop deep thinking skills, engage in dialogue, collaborate, and build character. Almost all learning processes—reading, discussing, observing, experimenting, and problem-solving—rely on one fundamental ability: the capacity to focus.

Therefore, the greatest challenge for schools in the 21st century is no longer providing information, which is now abundant and easily accessible. The real challenge is ensuring that the learning process does not lose its space to function fully. Learning is not just about finding the quickest answer through a search engine; it is also about cultivating patience in thinking, constructing arguments, and understanding issues deeply.

This phenomenon has drawn global attention. Various countries have adopted different approaches to regulating mobile phone use in schools. Some ban them during lessons, others restrict use to educational purposes only, and some leave the regulation to individual schools. Although the forms of policy differ, the goal remains the same: to maintain the quality of the learning process and protect the development of students.

These concerns align with the findings of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt in his book, The Anxious Generation (2024). Haidt argues that the world is undergoing a shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood. Children are learning less through play, direct interaction, and environmental exploration, and more through screens. The main problem, he suggests, is not just the duration of screen time, but the loss of opportunities for children to build resilience, empathy, independence, and mental health through real-world experiences with family, peers, and their surroundings.

If Haidt speaks of the loss of childhood experiences, the world of education faces an equally significant challenge: ensuring that schools remain spaces that restore these real-world experiences. Schools are not only tasked with transferring knowledge but also with being places where children learn to be human. It is here that the issue of gadget use finds its deeper meaning. Education must not only develop academic abilities but also safeguard a child’s growth process. A child’s spirit is shaped through interaction, empathy, dialogue, emotional management, and life experiences that cannot be entirely replaced by a digital screen. At the same time, children need a space to grow—a space to play, ask questions, cooperate, reflect, and even learn to face boredom as part of the maturation process.

It is within this context that the Circular Letter of the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Number 18 of 2026 concerning the Restriction of Gadget Use in Educational Units finds its relevance. This policy is not merely about regulating mobile phone use in schools; it is a response to a more fundamental shift in how children learn, interact, and grow in the digital era. As Minister Abdul Mu’ti stated, regulating gadget use in schools is not just a matter of discipline or technological control.