Thailand Grapples with Smartphone Addiction: School vs. Family Responsibility Debated

Concerns over children's mental health are renewing debate whether excessive use of mobile devices is harming academic performance and learning capability, while boosting social isolation and criminal behaviour influenced by online personalities. Unicef reports that nearly half of young adults aged below 25 admitted participation in online gambling, while another 33% are addicted to cyber gaming. At the heart of the debate is a tug-of-war between schools and families over who should bear primary responsibility for regulating children's mobile device use and setting appropriate boundaries for the digital age. At Lat Pla Khao Phitthayakhom School in Bangkok, director Wilaiwan Anmak noted that only 10% of families have reported issues relevant to game addiction or spending too much time browsing on the phone. In these cases, teachers and parents work together to find solutions. She acknowledged that during the pandemic, students needed smartphones or tablets for online learning, and reversing that dependence has become much harder as digital devices have already become part of education. The school allows students to carry personal devices but prohibits their use during lessons unless required for research or classroom tasks. As a public school with limited resources, it cannot provide facilities for students to leave phones in lockers or for teachers to manage them, due to the massive administrative burden if devices are lost or damaged. Despite this, the school monitors situations where students argue on social media, leading to disagreements. Students help monitor online issues and alert teachers, who intervene through discussion and mediation, preventing escalation into serious violence. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation states that 98.2% of Thai children are screen addicts, and smart device use is inseparable from youth today. The school encourages the use of AI, and teachers are trained to integrate it into teaching and learning, viewing technology as a new remedy for educational issues. While social media bans are expanding globally, Thailand must carefully study the benefits and risks. Parents play a crucial role as they provide the devices. Students need guidance to distinguish reliable information from misinformation and use digital media safely. Jananan Kindergarten director and licensee Janana Srivardhana prioritizes emotional development in early childhood. As part of admissions, parents disclose their children's screen time habits, though children's behavior often reveals the truth. Children with more direct engagement tend to behave differently. Excessive screen time is linked to emotional regulation problems, increased aggression, and reduced patience. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the school's long-held principles of limiting screen time. The school has since restored its policy by banning mobile phones and encouraging families to limit screen time at home, emphasizing consistency between home and school for children's self-discipline. Interactive boards are used for older kindergarten students to encourage interaction and participation, not passive learning.