By Juan Larrosa, September 21, 2026
At today’s morning press conference, it was announced that the Ministry of Public Education and the National Council of Educational Authorities (CONAEDU) reached an agreement to restrict the use of cell phones or smartphones in primary and secondary school classrooms. This restriction includes the time students spend in the classroom as well as recess periods. The measure, which will take effect this year, has yet to be published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, and until then we will not know its specific characteristics.
At first glance, I think this is a good decision by the Federal Government. As I have written in previous commentaries, I believe there is sufficient evidence showing that the use of screens in classrooms generates significant distraction. These technologies are designed to capture their users’ attention. This makes it very difficult for students to remain present and focused on what is happening in the classroom, and it also distances them from social and collective interaction during recess, as many students prefer their screens to playing with their peers.
The negative effects of screens have increased in recent years with the emergence of artificial intelligence. This technology makes it very easy to ask an AI agent to solve a math problem, read a text, summarize content, or write an essay. Although more research still needs to be done, there are clear indications in the recent PISA assessment that students in many parts of the world, not only in Mexico, are developing fewer mathematical, analytical, and critical-thinking skills. This decline coincides with the rise of artificial intelligence. The question of causality will need to be examined further.
So, credit is due to the Federal Government for this decision. However, pending the publication of the full text in the Official Gazette of the Federation, I believe the measure falls short. This measure, which is a first step, should be accompanied by a broad public policy on technology and education; otherwise, we will simply be shifting responsibility for our country’s educational problems onto technology.
At the technological level, we should consider the possibility of providing universal public access to the epistemic and communication technologies that operate through screens. Banning cell phones from classrooms does not mean cutting people off from public life altogether. The government must ensure that Mexicans have access to high-quality internet and sufficient devices to remain connected to contemporary life, without being at the mercy of private companies, as happened in the past with broadcasting and telecommunications.
With that infrastructure for universal access in place, we would then need to build a literacy policy for our communication environment. Through different classroom strategies, students should be taught how to use cell phones and, more broadly, how to live in today’s complex communication and technological environment. Sooner or later, students will use phones and other technologies that will continue to develop. For that reason, prohibition alone is not enough.
Now that the issue is part of the public conversation, citizens should contact their legislators and ask that this first step become a state policy capable of providing Mexican children with a better education system.
This text was originally broadcast on NTR Radio News on September 21, 2026, hosted by journalist Sonia Serrano.