Over usage of phones by Kids
A video is circulating online showing that Sweden is restricting or banning mobile phone use in schools. While I agree that overuse of anything can be harmful, applying Sweden’s educational policies directly to Pakistan—without context—is neither logical nor fair.
At Rehan School, we require students to use mobile phones and laptops during school hours. The reason is simple: most of our students do not use these tools at home. They come from low-privileged backgrounds where:
• Smartphones are often not available or not allowed
• Laptops are rare
• Digital exposure is extremely limited
Our approach is not about allowing students to stay on phones all day. It is about teaching them how to use technology properly, productively, and responsibly. A school’s purpose is to prepare children for real life—and in today’s world, real life is impossible without a mobile phone.
Banking, education, job applications, communication, navigation, freelancing, online work, government services, and learning opportunities all require digital access.
So the real question is:
If schools are meant to prepare students for life, why should we avoid teaching them how to use the most essential tool of modern life?
To understand why Sweden’s policies cannot be copied into Pakistan, we must look at facts and history, not emotions.
The Digital Reality: Sweden vs Pakistan
Sweden crossed 90% internet penetration around 15 years ago, in the early 2010s. Since then, it has lived with near-universal internet access, strong infrastructure, and widespread digital literacy.
At the same time, Pakistan’s internet penetration was below 5%. Internet access was limited to a small urban elite and largely absent from low-income and rural communities.
Even today, the gap remains significant:
• Sweden has over 95% internet penetration
• Pakistan is still around 45–50%
• Sweden’s per capita income is approximately $55,000 per year
• Pakistan’s per capita income is approximately $1,000 per year
There is also a major gender gap in Pakistan. A large proportion of women and girls either do not own a mobile phone or are not allowed to use one, limiting their access to education, information, and income opportunities.
These differences are not minor. They represent two completely different stages of digital development.
Understanding Sweden’s Phone Policy
Sweden is introducing a nationwide policy from 2026 requiring students to hand in mobile phones during the school day. This policy is being introduced in a country where:
• Internet access is already universal
• Digital skills are already widespread
• The main concern is overuse and distraction, not access
Research on whether phone bans improve academic performance is mixed and inconclusive, but even if such policies work in Sweden, they are designed for a society that has already solved the problem of digital access.
Pakistan’s Challenge Is Different
Pakistan is not dealing with overexposure.
Pakistan is dealing with underexposure.
Our challenge is not “too much technology.”
Our challenge is lack of access, lack of skills, and lack of digital confidence.
What Sweden is managing as a second-stage problem (regulation and balance), Pakistan is still struggling with as a first-stage problem (access and literacy).
Our Position at Rehan School
At Rehan School, we believe in guided, intentional, and purposeful use of technology. We use mobile phones and laptops to help students:
• Build digital literacy
• Learn how to learn
• Access global knowledge
• Prepare for real jobs and real income opportunities
• Develop responsibility and judgment around technology use
We are not removing books.
We are not removing teachers.
We are adding tools—because the future demands it.
Sweden is one of the world’s most advanced and admirable countries, and I deeply respect it. But Sweden and Pakistan are not the same country, and pretending they are does a disservice to our children.
Educational policies must match local realities, not viral videos.
— Rehan Allahwala
A video is circulating online showing that Sweden is restricting or banning mobile phone use in schools. While I agree that overuse of anything can be harmful, applying Sweden’s educational policies directly to Pakistan—without context—is neither logical nor fair.
At Rehan School, we require students to use mobile phones and laptops during school hours. The reason is simple: most of our students do not use these tools at home. They come from low-privileged backgrounds where:
• Smartphones are often not available or not allowed
• Laptops are rare
• Digital exposure is extremely limited
Our approach is not about allowing students to stay on phones all day. It is about teaching them how to use technology properly, productively, and responsibly. A school’s purpose is to prepare children for real life—and in today’s world, real life is impossible without a mobile phone.
Banking, education, job applications, communication, navigation, freelancing, online work, government services, and learning opportunities all require digital access.
So the real question is:
If schools are meant to prepare students for life, why should we avoid teaching them how to use the most essential tool of modern life?
To understand why Sweden’s policies cannot be copied into Pakistan, we must look at facts and history, not emotions.
The Digital Reality: Sweden vs Pakistan
Sweden crossed 90% internet penetration around 15 years ago, in the early 2010s. Since then, it has lived with near-universal internet access, strong infrastructure, and widespread digital literacy.
At the same time, Pakistan’s internet penetration was below 5%. Internet access was limited to a small urban elite and largely absent from low-income and rural communities.
Even today, the gap remains significant:
• Sweden has over 95% internet penetration
• Pakistan is still around 45–50%
• Sweden’s per capita income is approximately $55,000 per year
• Pakistan’s per capita income is approximately $1,000 per year
There is also a major gender gap in Pakistan. A large proportion of women and girls either do not own a mobile phone or are not allowed to use one, limiting their access to education, information, and income opportunities.
These differences are not minor. They represent two completely different stages of digital development.
Understanding Sweden’s Phone Policy
Sweden is introducing a nationwide policy from 2026 requiring students to hand in mobile phones during the school day. This policy is being introduced in a country where:
• Internet access is already universal
• Digital skills are already widespread
• The main concern is overuse and distraction, not access
Research on whether phone bans improve academic performance is mixed and inconclusive, but even if such policies work in Sweden, they are designed for a society that has already solved the problem of digital access.
Pakistan’s Challenge Is Different
Pakistan is not dealing with overexposure.
Pakistan is dealing with underexposure.
Our challenge is not “too much technology.”
Our challenge is lack of access, lack of skills, and lack of digital confidence.
What Sweden is managing as a second-stage problem (regulation and balance), Pakistan is still struggling with as a first-stage problem (access and literacy).
Our Position at Rehan School
At Rehan School, we believe in guided, intentional, and purposeful use of technology. We use mobile phones and laptops to help students:
• Build digital literacy
• Learn how to learn
• Access global knowledge
• Prepare for real jobs and real income opportunities
• Develop responsibility and judgment around technology use
We are not removing books.
We are not removing teachers.
We are adding tools—because the future demands it.
Sweden is one of the world’s most advanced and admirable countries, and I deeply respect it. But Sweden and Pakistan are not the same country, and pretending they are does a disservice to our children.
Educational policies must match local realities, not viral videos.
— Rehan Allahwala
Over usage of phones by Kids
A video is circulating online showing that Sweden is restricting or banning mobile phone use in schools. While I agree that overuse of anything can be harmful, applying Sweden’s educational policies directly to Pakistan—without context—is neither logical nor fair.
At Rehan School, we require students to use mobile phones and laptops during school hours. The reason is simple: most of our students do not use these tools at home. They come from low-privileged backgrounds where:
• Smartphones are often not available or not allowed
• Laptops are rare
• Digital exposure is extremely limited
Our approach is not about allowing students to stay on phones all day. It is about teaching them how to use technology properly, productively, and responsibly. A school’s purpose is to prepare children for real life—and in today’s world, real life is impossible without a mobile phone.
Banking, education, job applications, communication, navigation, freelancing, online work, government services, and learning opportunities all require digital access.
So the real question is:
If schools are meant to prepare students for life, why should we avoid teaching them how to use the most essential tool of modern life?
To understand why Sweden’s policies cannot be copied into Pakistan, we must look at facts and history, not emotions.
The Digital Reality: Sweden vs Pakistan
Sweden crossed 90% internet penetration around 15 years ago, in the early 2010s. Since then, it has lived with near-universal internet access, strong infrastructure, and widespread digital literacy.
At the same time, Pakistan’s internet penetration was below 5%. Internet access was limited to a small urban elite and largely absent from low-income and rural communities.
Even today, the gap remains significant:
• Sweden has over 95% internet penetration
• Pakistan is still around 45–50%
• Sweden’s per capita income is approximately $55,000 per year
• Pakistan’s per capita income is approximately $1,000 per year
There is also a major gender gap in Pakistan. A large proportion of women and girls either do not own a mobile phone or are not allowed to use one, limiting their access to education, information, and income opportunities.
These differences are not minor. They represent two completely different stages of digital development.
Understanding Sweden’s Phone Policy
Sweden is introducing a nationwide policy from 2026 requiring students to hand in mobile phones during the school day. This policy is being introduced in a country where:
• Internet access is already universal
• Digital skills are already widespread
• The main concern is overuse and distraction, not access
Research on whether phone bans improve academic performance is mixed and inconclusive, but even if such policies work in Sweden, they are designed for a society that has already solved the problem of digital access.
Pakistan’s Challenge Is Different
Pakistan is not dealing with overexposure.
Pakistan is dealing with underexposure.
Our challenge is not “too much technology.”
Our challenge is lack of access, lack of skills, and lack of digital confidence.
What Sweden is managing as a second-stage problem (regulation and balance), Pakistan is still struggling with as a first-stage problem (access and literacy).
Our Position at Rehan School
At Rehan School, we believe in guided, intentional, and purposeful use of technology. We use mobile phones and laptops to help students:
• Build digital literacy
• Learn how to learn
• Access global knowledge
• Prepare for real jobs and real income opportunities
• Develop responsibility and judgment around technology use
We are not removing books.
We are not removing teachers.
We are adding tools—because the future demands it.
Sweden is one of the world’s most advanced and admirable countries, and I deeply respect it. But Sweden and Pakistan are not the same country, and pretending they are does a disservice to our children.
Educational policies must match local realities, not viral videos.
— Rehan Allahwala
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