Much like in the United States, cell phone users are beginning to reach a much younger audience than ever before. Recently, Morocco has increased its use of mobile phones and, as stated in the Technological Factors blog post, Morocco’s mobile phone penetration rate has risen to 119.7%. However, with this increasing usage of mobile phones there are downsides, specifically regarding the distraction they cause in school.

According to an article written by Yassir Yousfi at Morocco World News, it has become common to see little kids using phones like adults, where they can send SMS, take pictures, use Bluetooth, watch videos, and download music — often times without parental supervision. Not only does this lack of parental supervision cause a “harmful problem” for these children in general according to Yousfi, but these mobile phone activities are occurring during class and school hours.

The Moroccan Board of Education bans the use of cell phones during school hours, but many students ignore this policy. With kids increasingly using cell phones in school, it is making it harder for teachers to reach and educate their students. As stated by Khadija –a teacher interviewed by Yousfi–:

“We are really suffering in each class from the use of cell phones among students, and this problem begins in first grade and extends until university. No sooner do I enter to the classroom and start explaining the lesson than a student is already listening to music on his phone, chatting with his friends inside or outside the classroom or, what is worse, watching video of nudity with his classmates. You can imagine I find this incredibly disturbing, as do the students who are actually in class to learn!”

Though cell phones in general provide better media access to the people of Morocco, there are many downsides as well. Much like in the United States, mobile phones often serve as a distraction in school and hinder the learning of not only the cell phone users, but the classmates that are there and ready to learn.

References:

http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/05/131303/cell-phone-use-among-students-progress-or-pandemic/