No TikTok, no Instagram: Chilean school blocks phones and students rediscover real-world connections

Volleyball, basketball, ping pong, dancing rehearsals or simple chats. Dozens of teens are rediscovering how to reconnect to the real world after a school in Santiago, Chile, implemented a pioneering program in the country that blocks cell phone signals. Now, instead of compulsively scrolling through their Instagram feeds or sharing choreographed TikTok dances, students spend time at the library, the café or along the several courts of Lo Barnechea Bicentenario school. “Breaks are very lively now,” the school’s principal, Humberto Garrido, told The Associated Press. In order to stimulate bonding among youngsters, the school also put in place a “comprehensive plan that also includes more games in the courtyard, board games in the library, soccer, tennis, basketball, and even championships,” he said. The program—the first ever put in place in Chile and one of the first in South America—was implemented in August, a bid by the Lo Barnechea mayor’s office to address student well-being in times of hyperconnectivity and help them rediscover real-world connections. For now, the initiative is being tested only at Lo Barnechea Bicentenario school and applies to eighth-grade students, ages 13 or 14. However, the measure will soon be extended to all grades and gradually implemented in other district schools over the next year. On a recent cold, sunny day at the end of winter in Chile, dozens of students patiently lined up before putting their smartphones inside a black case designed to jam signal detection through a blocking magnet that can only be deactivated by the school’s inspectors. They are still able to keep their devices, but are only allowed to text, call or scroll again after school is over. The first few days of the digital detox demanded some adaptation, but just a few weeks after its launch, the program has been well received by students, teachers and parents. “I feel freer, I spend more time at recess, I spend more time with my classmates. I play a lot, I play a lot more sports. Before, I used to spend time on my phone, watching TikTok and Instagram,” said 14-year-old José David. This article was provided by The Associated Press.