By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea passed a bill on Wednesday to ban the use of mobile phones and other digital devices in school classrooms nationwide, as concern grows about the impact of heavy social media use among the young.

The ban, which will take effect from March next year, makes South Korea the latest country to restrict the use of smartphones and social media among minors.

Australia recently widened its pioneering ban on social media for teenagers. A ban on mobile phones in Dutch schools has improved focus among students, a study found in July.

Surveys show South Korea is among the world's most digitally connected countries, with 99% of South Koreans online and 98% owning a smartphone, according to the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, the highest rate among the 27 countries it examined in 2022 and 2023.

The legislation imposing the ban garnered bipartisan support in Wednesday's parliamentary vote.

"Our youth's addiction to social media is at a serious level now," said Cho Jung-hun, a lawmaker from the opposition People Power Party and a sponsor of the bill.

"Our kids, their eyes are red every morning. They are on Instagram until 2 or 3 a.m.," Cho told parliament.

About 37% of middle- and high-school students say social media affects their daily lives, while 22% feel anxious if they cannot access their social media accounts, a survey by the Education Ministry found last year.

Many schools in South Korea already have their own restrictions for smartphone use, which the bill now formalises.

Digital devices will still be permitted for students with disabilities or for educational purposes.

Some youth advocacy groups have opposed the smartphone ban, saying it would violate children's human rights.