Several German states have tightened their rules on smartphones in schools. ZDF reported that Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia did so at the start of a new school year, um die Konzentration zu fördern, to support concentration. In March 2025, Hesse announced that it would ban the private use of smartphones, smartwatches and tablets through a change to its school law, starting in the 2025/26 school year. The Hessian education minister, Armin Schwarz, said schools should be places where students can frei von Ablenkung und Ängsten lernen, learn free of distraction and fear.