Between control and adaptation: regulating smartphone and GenAI use in Estonian schools

Schools from different cultural contexts have recently started to regulate the use of digital technologies, like generative AI applications; as well as ban the use of smart phones, during a school day. This article examines how K-12 schools in Estonia, one of the most digitalised societies in the world, approach these issues in their internal guidelines. Using quantitative document analysis of publicly accessible internal guidelines from 475 schools, the study assesses the extent of policy coverage, identifies dominant regulatory approaches, and examines recurring themes. The findings indicate that while the use of smart phones is more frequently and explicitly regulated, the guidance regarding the use of (generative) AI was present only in 13 Estonian schools.