Create a learning environment where students can actually concentrate
En una era donde las pantallas compiten con los maestros por la atención de los jóvenes, la Ciudad de México ha decidido trazar una línea dentro de las aulas. El Congreso capitalino aprobó por unanimidad esta semana restricciones al uso de celulares durante el horario escolar en primarias y secundarias públicas y privadas, reconociendo que la tecnología, sin orientación, puede erosionar tanto el aprendizaje como el bienestar emocional de los estudiantes. La medida no condena los dispositivos, sino que busca devolverle al aula su propósito esencial: un espacio donde la mente joven pueda, por fin, concentrarse.
- El Congreso de la Ciudad de México aprobó por 47 votos a favor y cero en contra una reforma que prohíbe el uso de celulares durante clases en todas las escuelas primarias y secundarias de la capital.
- Legisladores advirtieron que el uso excesivo de dispositivos móviles está vinculado a caídas en el rendimiento académico, ansiedad, depresión, problemas de sueño y ciberacoso entre menores.
- Las excepciones son estrechas: solo se permitirá el uso de teléfonos cuando un docente lo autorice con fines pedagógicos, en emergencias reales o en circunstancias que la escuela considere necesarias.
- La Secretaría de Educación deberá coordinar con autoridades federales para crear campañas de alfabetización digital y programas de orientación para familias y maestros sobre el uso responsable de la tecnología.
- La Ciudad de México se suma a una tendencia nacional: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Morelos, Aguascalientes y el Estado de México ya han adoptado restricciones similares, señal de una preocupación colectiva sobre la infancia en la era digital.
El Congreso de la Ciudad de México aprobó esta semana, con 47 votos a favor y ninguno en contra, una reforma a la ley de educación local que restringe el uso de celulares y dispositivos electrónicos durante el horario escolar. La medida aplica tanto a escuelas públicas como privadas de nivel primaria y secundaria en toda la capital.
Bajo las nuevas reglas, los estudiantes no podrán usar sus teléfonos mientras se imparten clases. Las excepciones son limitadas: cuando un docente o directivo lo autorice expresamente para actividades educativas, en emergencias genuinas o en situaciones que la escuela considere necesarias. Las autoridades educativas locales deberán elaborar lineamientos detallados sobre cómo aplicar las restricciones y qué mecanismos de supervisión deberán implementar los planteles.
Los legisladores que impulsaron la iniciativa se apoyaron en investigaciones que vinculan el uso intensivo del celular con menor rendimiento académico, falta de concentración, ansiedad, depresión, trastornos del sueño y ciberacoso. El enfoque, aclararon, no es demonizar la tecnología sino fomentar su uso responsable y proteger el tiempo de aprendizaje. Para ello, la Secretaría de Educación capitalina coordinará con autoridades federales campañas de alfabetización digital y programas de orientación dirigidos a familias y docentes.
La Ciudad de México no actúa en solitario: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Morelos, Aguascalientes y el Estado de México han adoptado medidas similares en fechas recientes. La tendencia refleja una inquietud compartida sobre el impacto de las pantallas en la infancia y el papel que deben jugar las escuelas ante la presión constante de las notificaciones digitales.
Mexico City's Congress voted unanimously this week to restrict how students use cellphones and other electronic devices during school hours. The measure passed 47 to zero, amending the city's education law to apply to both public and private primary and secondary schools across the capital.
Under the new rules, students cannot use their phones while classes are in session. The only exceptions are when teachers or school administrators explicitly authorize device use for educational activities, during genuine emergencies, or in other situations the school deems necessary. The reforms modify two articles of Mexico City's education code and require local education authorities to draft detailed guidelines spelling out exactly how the restrictions will work in practice and what oversight mechanisms schools must put in place.
Legislators who backed the initiative pointed to a growing body of research showing that heavy cellphone use damages academic performance and classroom focus. They also cited studies linking prolonged phone and social media use to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and cyberbullying among young people. The argument was not that technology itself is the enemy—lawmakers were careful to frame this as promoting responsible use, not banning devices outright. The goal, they said, is to create a learning environment where students can actually concentrate.
To make the policy work, Mexico City's education ministry will need to coordinate with federal education authorities to develop public campaigns teaching students, parents, and teachers about digital literacy and the safe, critical use of online tools. The city also plans to roll out guidance programs aimed at families and school staff, helping them understand the risks of unsupervised internet and social media use and how to address them.
Mexico City is not alone in this move. Several other Mexican states have recently passed similar restrictions on school cellphone use, including Querétaro, Guanajuato, Morelos, Aguascalientes, and the State of Mexico. The trend reflects a broader concern across the country about how digital devices are reshaping childhood and adolescence, and whether schools have a responsibility to protect learning time from the constant pull of notifications and screens.
Citações Notáveis
The intention of the reform is not to prohibit technology completely in schools, but to foster a safer educational environment focused on learning— Mexico City Congress legislators during debate
Excessive mobile device use can affect academic performance, classroom attention, and student relationships— Supporting legislators
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did this pass so cleanly—47 to zero? That's unusual for education policy.
Because the research is hard to argue with. Anxiety, depression, sleep disruption—these aren't partisan issues. Every legislator has kids or knows kids struggling with phones.
But couldn't schools have done this on their own, without a law?
They could have tried. But without a mandate, you get inconsistency. One school bans phones, the next one doesn't. A law levels the playing field and gives principals cover when parents complain.
What about the exceptions—pedagogical activities, emergencies? Won't that create loopholes?
Probably. That's why the education ministry has to write the guidelines. The law sets the principle; the details matter enormously. A teacher could claim almost anything is pedagogical if the rules are vague.
Is this really about learning, or is it about controlling kids?
Both, maybe. But the legislators were honest: they're not anti-technology. They want students to learn how to use devices responsibly, not just have them taken away. The campaigns and parent programs are part of that.
Other states are doing this too. Is Mexico shifting on this issue?
It looks like it. When five or six states move in the same direction, you're seeing a real cultural moment. Parents are worried. Schools are overwhelmed. Something had to give.