News
Anyone who began their teaching career B.C. (before cellphones) can attest that phones have been a game-changer. As someone who started teaching in the ’90s, I have witnessed firsthand the negative effects of cellphones and how schools have tried to both utilize and combat cellphones in the classroom. There has definitely been a learning curve, and we didn’t always get it right.
Cellphone policies have varied – with little success
Like most teachers, I have been frustrated trying to teach kids who were distracted by surreptitiously texting and checking their social media. I’ve also tried leaning into smartphones, allowing students to use them as a tool for research or to answer in-class surveys. And I’ve tried the put-it-where-I-can-see-it policy in the hopes that this would prevent sneak texting. No matter what policies my school implemented or how I tried to minimize cellphone distraction, nothing worked because students are addicted to their phones. They can’t not look at them.
Now I am a pre-k-8th-grade librarian (and my school has a very restrictive phone policy), so cellphones are less of an issue for me than when I taught high school, but I was relieved when my youngest child’s school implemented a no-cellphone policy. According to government data, 80 percent of schools ban cellphones for nonacademic purposes. Unfortunately, how this looks varies widely from school to school. My son’s school prohibits all phone use–during class, at lunch, or during passing periods. If they see them, they take them. Other schools have more lax policies, allowing students to be on their phones as long as they aren’t in class or when they have teacher permission.
Why schools have started banning cellphones
Considering the addictive nature of phones and kids’ expertise at skirting the rules, a no-phones-at-all policy is in the best interest of students. Cellphones aren’t just a huge distraction. Research shows a link between screen usage and lower cognitive function. Why would we allow devices in our schools that not only keep kids from learning but also likely contribute to the nation’s growing mental health crisis?
Some school districts in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and elsewhere are so serious about limiting smartphone usage that they are partnering with companies that provide magnetic locking pouches to keep phones out of the hands of students. Dozens of researchers and child wellness experts have sent a letter to Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, asking him to issue an advisory urging a nationwide cellphone ban.
Perhaps the most dramatic and possibly impactful action is that, in the same way consumers held tobacco companies liable for knowably marketing an addictive and toxic substance to young people, an increasing number of schools are suing social media companies over the damaging effects their platforms have on children’s mental health and academic performance.
Many students are happier without their phones
Educators and experts, however, aren’t the only ones who support cellphone bans and restrictions. Surprisingly, many students find that they enjoy the freedom from distraction that the cellphone bans provide. When my daughter was in high school and attended a statewide summer enrichment program at a nearby college, she found their cellphone restrictions refreshing. She said that it was easier to get to know the other kids on campus because in lines or waiting outside of classes, they talked to one another instead of checking their social media or texting friends from home. A recent article in The New York Times echoes similar sentiments from students across the country.
Pushback against banning cellphones
Unfortunately, not everyone is concerned about the damaging effects of cellphones in schools. Some students argue that taking away phones limits their ability to record and store information, communicate with their parents, and socialize. Many parents also oppose the bans. Families are used to being in contact with their kids throughout the day, and some parents don’t like not being able to check-in with their kids or communicate information about schedule changes. Parents and students also have concerns about not being able to communicate in the event of an emergency.
Fortunately, most schools have plans in place in the event students or their family members experience a medical emergency. And while many parents want their students to have a phone in the event of an active intruder, the danger that notification noises and the sound of students talking on their phones would attract a shooter outweigh any benefit a cellphone might offer.
Resources for kids with screen addictions
Despite some concern among kids and their parents, the overwhelming evidence about the damaging effects of cellphones makes it hard to argue that there’s any place for phones in schools. But what do you do if your child’s school or the school you work in does not have a strict cellphone policy in place? Dr. Adrianna Stacey, Board Certified Psychiatrist and Medical Advisor for Screen Strong, suggests working together with like-minded people to advocate for change and to gather peer-reviewed information to present to administrators. Stacey also recommends that parents and concerned teachers offer solutions. Screen Strong and other organizations offer resources to help educate schools, parents, and kids.
The road from the release of the first smartphone in 2007 to the damaging consequences our kids are facing today has been a relatively short one. Let’s hope that with greater awareness and through bold action, adults will take the necessary steps to limit screen time and guide our kids off this dangerous path and toward a healthy and productive future.
