TLDR Buenos Aires Province lawmakers passed a law to regulate cell phone and screen use in primary and secondary schools. The law covers students aged 6 to 17 in both public and private schools. Schools must teach students about the risks of screen time, including access to illegal online betting. Provincial lottery chief Gonzalo Atanasof said illegal gambling makes up about 80% of the province’s market. He estimated Argentina’s illegal gambling market at USD 3.6 billion and called for stronger regulation.
The Buenos Aires Province Legislature has passed a law to regulate cell phone and screen use in primary and secondary schools. The goal is to promote responsible use of technology in classrooms.
Lawmakers also want to lower the risk of minors accessing illegal online betting sites and developing gambling problems.
The bill was introduced by provincial lawmaker Martín Rozas. He said phones are a useful tool for teaching and learning, but they have raised concerns in recent years.
Those concerns include problem gambling and the effect of screens on social interaction, according to Rozas.
What the New School Law Requires
The law applies to students aged 6 to 17. It is meant to help both public and private schools manage how students use their devices during class.
Schools will also need to teach students about the dangers and effects of screen time. They are expected to support healthy and responsible use of technology.
The law includes protocols and suggestions for putting the rules in place. It also calls for ongoing monitoring to measure how well the measures work and where they can be improved.
After the law passed, Rozas said technology should still be used in classrooms, but with protections in place.
“This bill provides adolescents with a safe space, so they are better protected within