Op-Ed: Introducing Age-Based Restrictions on Unsupervised Smartphone Use in Cambodian Schools

Future Forum's junior research fellow Pin Chanleap was published in Cambojanews on September 4th, 2025. Check out the original article HERE, and read it below!

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A boy uses his mother’s smartphone in Kampong Cham province. Sept. 3, 2025. (Photo: Chanleap Pin)

Udom* was seven when he first learned of his brother’s gambling addiction. After his brother lost a large amount of money on online sports betting, he accessed through messaging apps on his phone, money collectors arrived at his house and threatened his parents until they repaid their son’s debt. Seeing his brother battle addiction impacted Udom’s own well-being. By the time he was 13, he had his own negative experience of the digital world, when one of his friends stole his Facebook password and sent embarrassing messages to all of his contacts, leaving Udom distraught and anxious about attending school.

This type of story is increasingly common in Cambodia, serving to illustrate the potential harms that smartphones can have on Cambodian children. While they can be a powerful learning tool, excessive and unregulated use of digital devices, particularly without adult supervision, has been linked to negative impacts on children, such as lower concentration, disrupted sleep, and rising mental health issues, such as higher anxiety. A recent Frontiers in Psychiatry article reported a relationship between smartphone addiction and sleep disorders among adolescents. Those with greater addiction symptoms were more likely to experience reduced sleep quality, and vice versa. Several prominent international newspapers have discussed how smartphone use has impacted children psychologically, including how it has contributed to rising anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Johann Hari, the author of his book “Stolen Focus” published in 2022, attributes constant digital stimulation to decreased attention spans among young people. A 2019 U.S. study cited by Foley in 2024 found that teenagers who spend over three hours per day on social media are significantly more likely to report mental health challenges, including negative body image. 

While limited discussion and research have been carried out on the impact of unregulated smartphone use among young people in Cambodia, there has been some literature which explores the topic. A quantitative study of university students in Cambodia found a positive correlation between social media use and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and reduced concentration. In 2021, UNICEF raised concerns about increased smartphone dependency among Cambodian children, noting its links to decreased physical activity, poor diets, and exposure to online exploitation. A Khmer Times article cited a survey showing that many children now see their phone as a “friend,” despite the associated mental health and safety risks.

Current Policy Gaps 

Despite the scale of the issue, Cambodia has yet to establish a national framework guiding smartphone use among school-aged children. Some urban schools have implemented internal phone policies; however, these efforts lack consistency, enforcement, and alignment with child protection principles.

Cambodia’s Positive Parenting Strategy, developed by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) with support from UNICEF, Save the Children, and others, provides a strong foundation. The strategy emphasizes non-violent parenting and child safeguarding and includes toolkits that promote communication, boundary-setting and protection from abuse, including online harm. However, these resources do not directly address digital safety or smartphone use, nor are they formally integrated into education or ICT policy.

This policy gap presents a critical opportunity: by building on existing frameworks and international lessons, Cambodia can introduce age-based smartphone guidelines that protect children’s well-being while reinforcing digital responsibility and inclusion.

International Lessons 

Countries worldwide have approached smartphone use in schools through various models, ranging from total bans to more balanced, supervised use.

Ireland’s “Keeping Childhood Smartphone-Free” campaign encourages parents to delay giving smartphones to children in primary school. The initiative has seen broad support from parents and telecom providers. However, a 2024 DCU study found that students in schools with strict bans often felt excluded from decision-making and still experienced cyberbullying, highlighting the limits of top-down enforcement.

New Zealand implemented a national ban on smartphones in schools. A University of Canterbury study found students reported fewer distractions and healthier tech habits, but also expressed concerns about inconsistent enforcement and anxiety over not being able to contact caregivers. Crucially, many students felt excluded from decision-making and called for more balanced policies, such as limited phone use during breaks and better education on responsible use. These findings replicate the case study in Ireland. 

Cambodia can learn from these initiatives by pairing age-based restrictions with student and parent consultation, clear rules, and adult role modelling. A participatory, inclusive approach is likely to be more effective and sustainable.

Estonia offers a more balanced model. Instead of banning devices, Estonia integrates them into classrooms under teacher supervision, with AI tools, national digital literacy programs, and strong ethics guidelines. This model shows how structured use rather than prohibition can support both learning and safety.

St. Albans, a city in the UK, demonstrates the power of bottom-up action. A community-driven campaign led by school heads and supported by parents reduced smartphone ownership among Year 6 students from 75% to 12% in one year, without national regulation.

These examples highlight that strict bans often backfire, while participatory, inclusive approaches that combine limits with education and community ownership yield better outcomes.

The case for action is straightforward. Curbing unsupervised device use would sharpen classroom attention, particularly if paired with teachers’ modelling and structured, purposeful screen time.

Clear limits also safeguard mental health by reducing overstimulation, improving sleep and easing anxiety among young pupils. A national rule-set would give parents consistent expectations across schools and homes, making it easier to manage children’s digital habits. Restricting access during the school day lowers the risk of exposure to gambling, online abuse and other age-inappropriate content. And by drawing on international lessons while adapting them to Cambodian values and systems, the policy would be both relevant and workable.

Policy Proposal 

Cambodia should introduce national guidelines to restrict unsupervised smartphone use for pupils under 14 during school hours. The aim of this policy would be to mitigate against the potential harms of smartphones without stunting digital skills. A hybrid, inclusive approach would achieve this balance. 

Start with ownership. Schools should co-design clear policies through consultations with teachers, parents and caregivers, and students. When the whole school communities help set the rules, they are likely to follow them because they see the policy as their own, rather than something that has been imposed upon them.

Set firm boundaries. Unsupervised smartphone use for under-14s should be off-limits during school hours, with sensible carve-outs for emergencies and for basic non-smartphones to contact parents or caregivers.

Use technology in an intentional and purposeful manner, not by default. Designate one or two supervised “digital learning” days a week when students may bring smartphones or other devices for structured lessons. To avoid leaving poorer children behind, schools should provide or organise shared devices. Many public schools lack the budget for tablets for every child; shared provision can still build digital literacy, independent study habits and research skills.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and MOWA, with support from funding partners such as The Asia Foundation (TAF) and UNICEF, should update Positive Parenting toolkits and teacher-training modules to include digital supervision and safeguarding.

Test the efficacy of these interventions and pilot the policy across a diverse set of schools, evaluate results, gather community feedback and expand what works.

Handled this way, Cambodia can curb distraction without turning classrooms into phone-free zones, and do so with the participation and support of parents, teachers, and most importantly, students. 

*Asterisks mark pseudonyms used to protect youths’ identities 

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