ban cell phones in school essay

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

$Boy looking at tutor doing math on a chalkboard via a computer.$

One way to help big groups of students? Volunteer tutors.

Footnote leads to exploration of start of for-profit prisons in N.Y.

Moderator David E. Sanger (from left) with Ivo Daalder, Karen Donfried, and Stephen Hadley.

Should NATO step up role in Russia-Ukraine war?

Do phones belong in schools.

iStock by Getty Images

Harvard Staff Writer

Bans may help protect classroom focus, but districts need to stay mindful of students’ sense of connection, experts say

Students around the world are being separated from their phones.

In 2020, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 77 percent of U.S. schools had moved to prohibit cellphones for nonacademic purposes. In September 2018, French lawmakers outlawed cellphone use for schoolchildren under the age of 15. In China, phones were banned country-wide for schoolchildren last year.

Supporters of these initiatives have cited links between smartphone use and bullying and social isolation and the need to keep students focused on schoolwork.

77% Of U.S. schools moved to ban cellphones for nonacademic purposes as of 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics

But some Harvard experts say instructors and administrators should consider learning how to teach with tech instead of against it, in part because so many students are still coping with academic and social disruptions caused by the pandemic. At home, many young people were free to choose how and when to use their phones during learning hours. Now, they face a school environment seeking to take away their main source of connection.

“Returning back to in-person, I think it was hard to break the habit,” said Victor Pereira, a lecturer on education and co-chair of the Teaching and Teaching Leadership Program at the Graduate School of Education.

Through their students, he and others with experience both in the classroom and in clinical settings have seen interactions with technology blossom into important social connections that defy a one-size-fits-all mindset. “Schools have been coming back, trying to figure out, how do we readjust our expectations?” Pereira added.

It’s a hard question, especially in the face of research suggesting that the mere presence of a smartphone can undercut learning .

Michael Rich , an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says that phones and school don’t mix: Students can’t meaningfully absorb information while also texting, scrolling, or watching YouTube videos.

“The human brain is incapable of thinking more than one thing at a time,” he said. “And so what we think of as multitasking is actually rapid-switch-tasking. And the problem with that is that switch-tasking may cover a lot of ground in terms of different subjects, but it doesn’t go deeply into any of them.”

Pereira’s approach is to step back — and to ask whether a student who can’t resist the phone is a signal that the teacher needs to work harder on making a connection. “Two things I try to share with my new teachers are, one, why is that student on the phone? What’s triggering getting on your cell phone versus jumping into our class discussion, or whatever it may be? And then that leads to the second part, which is essentially classroom management.

“Design better learning activities, design learning activities where you consider how all of your students might want to engage and what their interests are,” he said. He added that allowing phones to be accessible can enrich lessons and provide opportunities to use technology for school-related purposes.

Mesfin Awoke Bekalu, a research scientist in the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the Chan School, argues that more flexible classroom policies can create opportunities for teaching tech-literacy and self-regulation.

“There is a huge, growing body of literature showing that social media platforms are particularly helpful for people who need resources or who need support of some kind, beyond their proximate environment,” he said. A study he co-authored by Rachel McCloud and Vish Viswanath for the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness shows that this is especially true for marginalized groups such as students of color and LGBTQ students. But the findings do not support a free-rein policy, Bekalu stressed.

In the end, Rich, who noted the particular challenges faced by his patients with attention-deficit disorders and other neurological conditions, favors a classroom-by-classroom strategy. “It can be managed in a very local way,” he said, adding: “It’s important for parents, teachers, and the kids to remember what they are doing at any point in time and focus on that. It’s really only in mono-tasking that we do very well at things.”

Share this article

When should Harvard speak out?

Institutional Voice Working Group provides a roadmap in new report

Day to remember

One journey behind them, grads pause to reflect before starting the next

Had a bad experience meditating? You're not alone.

Altered states of consciousness through yoga, mindfulness more common than thought and mostly beneficial, study finds — though clinicians ill-equipped to help those who struggle

Why Schools Should Ban Cell Phones in the Classroom—and Why Parents Have to Help

New study shows it takes a young brain 20 minutes to refocus after using a cell phone in a classroom

Photo: A zoomed in photo shows a young student discretely using their cell phone under their desk as they sit in the classroom.

Photo by skynesher/iStock

Parents, the next time you are about to send a quick trivial text message to your students while they’re at school—maybe sitting in a classroom—stop. And think about this: it might take them only 10 seconds to respond with a thumbs-up emoji, but their brain will need 20 minutes to refocus on the algebra or history or physics lesson in front of them— 20 minutes .

That was just one of the many findings in a recent report from a 14-country study by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) that prompted this headline in the Washington Post : “Schools should ban smartphones. Parents should help.” The study recommends a ban on smartphones at school for students of all ages, and says the data are unequivocal, showing that countries that enforce restrictions see improved academic performance and less bullying.

It’s a fraught debate, one that prompts frustration among educators, who say students are less focused than ever as schools struggle to enforce cell phone limitation policies, and rage from some parents, worrying about a possible shooting when they can’t get in touch, who insist they need to be able to reach their children at all times. And, perhaps surprisingly, it prompts a collective yawn from students.

In fact, students openly admit their cell phones distract them and that they focus better in school without them, says Joelle Renstrom , a senior lecturer in rhetoric at Boston University’s College of General Studies. It’s an issue she has studied for years. She even performed an experiment with her students that supports what she long suspected: Cell Phones + Classrooms = Bad Learning Environment.

BU Today spoke with Renstrom about the latest study and research.

with Joelle Renstrom

Bu today: let me get right to the point. do we as a society need to be better about restricting cell phones in classrooms it seems so obvious..

Renstrom: Of course. But it is easier said than done. It’s hard to be consistent. We will always have students with some kind of reason, or a note from someone, that gives them access to technology. And then it becomes hard to explain why some people can have it and some people can’t. But student buy-in to the idea is important.

BU Today: But is getting students to agree more important than getting schools and parents to agree? Is it naive to think that students are supposed to follow the rules that we as parents and teachers set for them?

Renstrom: I have made the case before that addiction to phones is kind of like second-hand smoking. If you’re young and people around you are using it, you are going to want it, too. Every baby is like that. They want to reach for it, it’s flashing, their parents are on it all the time. Students openly acknowledge they are addicted. Their digital lives are there. But they also know there is this lack of balance in their lives. I do think buy-in is important. But do it as an experiment. Did it work? What changes did it make? Did it make you anxious or distracted during those 50 minutes in class? I did that for years. I surveyed students for a number of semesters; how do you feel about putting your phone in a pouch? They made some predictions and said what they thought about how annoying it was. But at the end, they talked about how those predictions [played out], and whether they were better able to focus. It was very, very clear they were better able to focus. Also interestingly, not a single student left during class to get a drink or go to the bathroom. They had been 100 percent doing that just so they could use their phone.

BU Today: Should we be talking about this question, cell phones in classrooms, for all ages, middle school all the way through college? Or does age matter?

Renstrom: It’s never going to be universal. Different families, different schools. And there is, on some level, a safety issue. I do not blame parents for thinking, if there’s someone with a gun in school, I need a way to reach my kids. What if all the phones are in pouches when someone with a gun comes in? It’s crazy that we even have to consider that.

BU Today: What’s one example of something that can be changed easily?

Renstrom: Parents need to stop calling their kids during the day. Stop doing that. What you are doing is setting that kid up so that they are responding to a bot 24-7 when they shouldn’t be. If you’re a kid who gets a text from your parent in class, you are conditioned to respond and to know that [the parent] expects a response. It adds so much anxiety to people’s lives. It all just ends up in this anxiety loop. When kids are in school, leave them alone. Think about what that phone is actually meant for. When you gave them a phone, you said it’s in case of an emergency or if you need to be picked up in a different place. Make those the parameters. If it’s just to confirm, “I’m still picking you up at 3,” then no, don’t do that. Remember when we didn’t have to confirm? There is a time and place for this, for all technology.

BU Today: This latest study, how do you think people will react to it?

Renstrom: This isn’t new. How many studies have to come out to say that cured meat is terrible and is carcinogenic. People are like, “Oh, don’t tell me what to eat. Or when to be on my phone.” This gets real contentious, real fast because telling people what’s good for them is hard.

BU Today: I can understand that—but in this case we’re not telling adults to stop being on their phones. We’re saying help get your kids off their phones in classrooms, for their health and education.

Renstrom: Studies show kids’ brains, and their gray matter, are low when they are on screens. School is prime habit-forming time. You should not sit in class within view of the professor, laughing while they are talking about World War II. There is a social appropriateness that needs to be learned. Another habit that needs to be addressed is the misconception of multitasking. We are under this misconception we all can do it. And we can’t. You might think, I can listen to this lecture while my sister texts me. That is not supported by science or studies. It is literally derailing you. Your brain jumps off to another track and has to get back on. If you think you have not left that first track, you are wrong.

BU Today: So what next steps would you like to see?

Renstrom: I would like to see both schools and families be more assertive about this. But also to work together. If the parents are anti-smartphone policy, it doesn’t matter if the school is pro-policy. If there is a war between parents and schools, I am not sure much will happen. Some kind of intervention and restriction is better than just ripping it away from kids. The UNESCO study found it is actually even worse for university students. We are all coming at this problem from all different ways. Pouches or banned phones. Or nothing.

Explore Related Topics:

Smartphones
Share this story
28 Comments Add

Associate Vice President, Executive Editor, Editorial Department Twitter Profile

Doug Most is a lifelong journalist and author whose career has spanned newspapers and magazines up and down the East Coast, with stops in Washington, D.C., South Carolina, New Jersey, and Boston. He was named Journalist of the Year while at The Record in Bergen County, N.J., for his coverage of a tragic story about two teens charged with killing their newborn. After a stint at Boston Magazine , he worked for more than a decade at the Boston Globe in various roles, including magazine editor and deputy managing editor/special projects. His 2014 nonfiction book, The Race Underground , tells the story of the birth of subways in America and was made into a PBS/American Experience documentary. He has a BA in political communication from George Washington University. Profile

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 28 comments on Why Schools Should Ban Cell Phones in the Classroom—and Why Parents Have to Help

i found this very helpful with my research

It was ok, but i will say i enjoyed learning more about why we should not have cell phones.

It was a great research, helped me a lot.

I think that this was helpful, but there is an ongoing question at my school, which is, though phones may be negative to health and knowledge and they’re a distraction what happens if there was a shooting or a fire or a dangourus weather event and you don’t have a phone to tell your parents or guardians at home if you are alright? (Reply answer if have one)

Yeah they would get an amber alert

well, the school has the technology that can help communicate that to the parents, and if that were to happen, I guess that’s why there’s always a cell phone in the classrooms those old-time ones, but I feel it would not be okay in case of a shooting since you have to go silence, and on the moment of fire or weather everything happens so fast in the moment.

Yeah, that’s exactly why they have those supplies or items in the classroom, to alert parents. Kids don’t need to use their phones for that.

In schools all teachers have cell phones. So one way or the other the messages would get out to the parents as needed. If a student gets on the cell phone to inform the parent about the activity, that’s taken place it could cause panic. School staffs are informed as to how to handle such situations.. what I have seen take place in classes are students who are texting each other either in the same room or in another classroom during the school time. Many students spend time on YouTube and not concentrating what’s going on in the classroom.

Teachers have communication with all parents and it also has amber alerts

You just give the kids watches to call there parents or guardians on.

I think that this was helpful, but there is an ongoing question at my school, which is, though phones may be negative to health and knowledge and they’re a distraction what happens if there is a shooting or a fire or a dangerous weather event and you don’t have a phone to tell your parents or guardians at home if you are alright?

I am writing a paper and this is very helpful thank you.

I am writing a paper and this is very helpful but it is true what if our mom or dad have to contact us we need phones!

this helped me with my school project about whether cell phones should be banned in school. I think yes but the class is saying no. I think it’s because I was raised without a phone so I know how to survive and contact my parents without a phone. but anyway, this helped me with my essay! thank you!

I don’t think phones should be allowed in school, and this is perfect backup! Thank you Doug

great infromation for debate

Thanks, this helped a lot I’m working on an essay and this has been really helpful.by the way, some people may think, but what if i need to call my mom/dad/guardian. but the real thing is, there is a high chance that there will be a telephone near you. or if it’s something that only you want them to know,go ahead and ask your teacher if you can go to the office.

I mean it could also depend on the student, like for example let’s say that i’m a student inside the school, if I used my phone and I got off it, for me it would instant focus, but for others students they might take longer or the same time as me, it all really depends if the student is tend to be responsible with their time trying to focus so I would say that this claim is not true.

I think that is article was very good. I’m currently writing and essay and I have used this for most of my evidence so far. I personally think that cellphones should be banned from the classroom because the school will get the information that your parents need out to them so you don’t have to cause a panic because you don’t know if your parents know what is going on at your school or not. It will just be better because then we wouldn’t have as many distractions in the classrooms as we do now because kids are always getting caught on their phones and they are constantly being sent down to the office and it takes time to get the class back on track. I personally agree with Doug that cellphones should be banned in the classrooms.

It’s striking to realize that the reason some parents feel the need to advocate for phone usage in school is due to concerns about a potential school shooting. While parents may be more informed about the harmful effects of smartphones in a learning environment, they take preference for the safety of their child in a hypothetical situation. It’s a hard debate because while the safety of their children is important, the drastic effects of students needing 20 minutes to refocus is significantly impacting their ability to learn in their classes. I find it very saddening that this is what our world has come to – prioritizing safety for a school shooting over academic performance, because it is no longer so unusual for a school to experience that type of tragedy.

I liked the comment, “Addiction to phones is kind of like second-hand smoking. If you’re young and people around you are using it, you are going to want it too,” because I experienced this phenomenon in my early middle school years, with the invention of the first iPhone. All of a sudden an invention that was broadcasted on the news became an essential for the other students in my middle school class, to the point where I became one of the only students without one. Then, I finally succumbed to the pressure, and begged my parents for an iPhone as I felt extremely left out. It’s frustrating to accept that this pressure is affecting children now younger and younger by the year, with even six year old children I babysit owning their own iPhone/iPad.

I also think that with the prevalence of child phone usage significantly increases parental anxiety, particularly for those parents who are already overbearing to start. Giving parents the ability to contact their child at any given time is harmful, and it can create a dependence on either side. It’s ironic given the fact that parents push their children to focus and succeed in their classes, yet harass them all day about minuscule things that could’ve been addressed later that day. So yes, parents need to stop calling their kids during the day.

this helped me with my school project, very reliable source.

I think that this talked more about why parents should help more than why cell phones should be banned.

I think the teachers or guardians will allow you to contact someone but I think after the shooting or crisis they will contact your parents or guardian from the office or person in charge

I agree, I’m 13 and I honestly could live without a phone

i also agree but parents need to reach their kids somehow if something happens in school

I’m also 13

had to research this for an assingnment and onistlly, I love my phone and I would marry it if I could!

This is really reasonable. In my school my friends have cell phones and there is a lot of drama. I am writing a report on this.

Latest from BU Today

Pov: schism in the methodist church explained, cfa sculpture class: wearable cardboard sculptures, three bu rowing teams competing for national titles this weekend, to do today: harvard art museums at night, bu hub turns six—and it’s more important than ever, leading womanist ethicist and theologian named new mlk professor of religion and black studies at sth, to do today: free dunder-mifflin paint night, can animal organ transplants save thousands of dying people, to do today: knit & crochet night at fenway community center, boston university removes the myles standish name from dorm, pov: remembering charlie pohonich, a final look back at bu’s 151st commencement, how to make the most of memorial day weekend in boston, did you win the free furiosa: a mad max saga tickets for tonight, karen antman stepping down as bu’s medical school dean and medical campus provost, a bu class tackles the massachusetts housing crisis, zesty potato salad, my reflections on the last four years of college: why small life events matter, exploring bu’s vibrant asian student communities for aapi heritage month, photo essay: behind the scenes at a bu commencement.

Share full article

Supported by

current events conversation

What Students Are Saying About School Cellphone Bans

Policies restricting phone use in schools are trending. We asked students if they thought such rules were a good idea.

By The Learning Network

Nearly one in four countries has laws or policies banning or restricting student cellphone use in schools . Proponents say no-phone rules reduce student distractions and bullying. Critics say the bans could hinder student self-direction and critical thinking.

We asked teenagers what they thought: Should schools ban cellphones?

The reactions were mixed. Many students brought up the same reasons they wanted access to their phones during the day: to listen to music, to contact their parents and even for schoolwork. But many recognized the need for some boundaries around phone use, with several supporting an outright ban. Read their arguments below.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the conversation on our writing prompts this week, including students from Midtown High School in Atlanta ; Parkway South High School in Manchester, Mo. ; and Miami Country Day School in Miami, Fla .

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

No phones in school? We’re all for it, some students said.

Recently, I stopped bringing my phone to school. I only had an Apple Watch to listen to music and message my family. This change has allowed me to focus more during my classes and I’ve come up with more creative ideas due to this change. To put it simply, while the banning of cellphones may take some time to fully get used to, it’s a necessity for all schools in order for their students to concentrate and participate more quickly. One of the main problems with cellphone usage in class is that students aren’t talking with one another. Instead, everyone is talking AT each other, because they’re always on their phones messaging or checking social media. With the banning of phones however, students can engage with one another without the use of technology, which can be described as “authentic,” or more personal.

— Leo, Midtown High School

I think that schools should ban cellphones because most problems in school typically circle back to cellphones. Students will take videos or photos of others during school and this gets uploaded to social media. They usually get bullied and aren’t comfortable being posted on social media. Kids are also always on their phones during class. Their grades start to go down and then they fail. All of these problems can be avoided if they just ban phones in school.

— Mylea, CNY

The phrase “eyes glued to the screen” is an understatement to how little students converse with one another due to something “more important” on their phone. It’s increasingly alarming and concerning that I have seen on many occasions a whole group of people sitting at a table, pressing away or scrolling on their phones, and all I hear is silence. Consequently, this adds to the overarching problem of mental health issues because of how attached students are to devices. They lose the skill of communication and therefore are not able to converse very well in the long-term.

— Alex, Manchester

I believe that we are in a weird time, where cellphone usage is so normalized, that being asked to put it away makes people mad. While I understand the annoyance with having your property confiscated, I do think it’s for the better of students. We are at a point where time and time again it’s been proven by ourselves that we have absolutely no self control and are unable to stay off phones when asked. I do think checking cameras and driving around during lunch is an extreme; but it may be necessary. If you need phones to do online classes, then use a computer. If older generations were able to make it 8 hours without checking an Instagram story, then so can we.

— emmies, midtown highschool

In my school, many students amble around campus, staring down at their phones, completely oblivious to the world around them. I have witnessed some of my peers bump into walls or into other students as they are entranced in their small electronic devices. The attention that students pay to their phones takes away from socializing, interacting, and learning throughout the school day. This has had a profound negative impact on their grades that is oftentimes irreversible. For example, in middle school, cellphone use was not permitted during the school day. Many of my peers were more engaged in their classes and thus had higher grades. When we got to high school, the rules changed and phones were allowed. Some of my same peers that had good grades, are now on academic probation for failing classes. Although this could be a result of many different factors, the main change from middle school to high school was phone usage.

Phones also interfere with quality social interactions. I noticed that in middle school, many students engaged more with one another, had quality conversations, and strong friendships. Some of these same students now have very few friends and engage with electronics more than people. It is important to keep in mind that this is the reality of some students, but not all. Many of my current friends in school have not let the electronic device world have such an intense impact on their lives, and therefore are very social and are doing fantastic academically.

— Arabella, Miami Country Day School/Miami Florida

Others recognized the need for some boundaries around phone use, but thought an outright ban went too far.

Cellphones should be limited, not banned, in schools but with a couple of key qualifications. During class time, I think there should be no phones allowed from when the bell rings to start the class to when the bell rings to end the class. There should be breaks in the middle of the class, as the teacher sees fit, such as how we do in some of my classes, to take a quick break and check notifications before getting back into it. This would hopefully influence students to use dedicated class time wisely and be more “checked in” so to speak while not missing out on possible crucial messages or emergencies that may come through during that class. However, if a student is in a free period, they should be able to use their phone. It is up to the student to use their time wisely outside of class to get their work done and allowing the student to have some independence in making a responsible choice as a young adult in the making is a positive.

— Jack, Ames, Iowa

An alternative to the use of phones in school is to heavily regulate media in the range of school, meaning not just banning social media under the school network but also having students log on to an application during school which only allows access to important needs for phones like contacting parents or educational apps, in case of a student’s laptop being dead, broken or forgotten at home. In the grand scheme of things, I believe removing a student’s phone would also cause more of a problem in the situation of an emergency because they will not be able to contact their parents. Banning them is definitely not necessary but a regulation on cell phones would be beneficial to students as a whole.

— Jaden, Sun Valley, CA

In every class, you’ll see people with their cellphone out, or laying on their desk next to them, just within reach for when it buzzes. Every time this buzz distracts the student, it takes their brain at least five seconds to focus back on the task they were working on, decreasing productivity and increasing errors. I believe that teachers should confiscate students’ phones during class, and have rules for when this confiscation is violated. However, if said class is a free period, the students could keep their phones out, to be able to communicate with their parents and keep up with their extracurriculars. Many parents should support their child focusing on school, and will be fine with them only responding in 90 minute intervals in between classes.

— Katya, Midtown High School

For me, the best policy for students is for teachers to take phones during classes and instructional time and give them back after class. I know some students are against having their phones taken during class, but I do think it increases focus. During free periods and lunch, I think it is important for students to have time to be there on their phones because it provides a time to relax and enjoy something not school-related.

— Ginny, J.R. Masterman Philadelphia

I use my phone as another device for my school work. For example, if I’m given a piece of writing to work on, I’ll have the assignment and instructions pulled up on my phone while I complete the work on my iPad. I understand the frustration teachers may have when they’re talking and multiple students are scrolling on TikTok or using Snapchat while learning a lesson. This can affect their work and education, however banning phones is excessive. If it’s become a problem or a setback in classes, setting a rule to make sure the phone stays in a bag can just may be an option. Otherwise it’s not easy for me to communicate among my parents, friends, or even boss.

— Sofia, Glenbard West High School

Some wanted unrestricted access to their phones during the day for a variety of reasons.

As a student who was born and raised in Ethiopia, we weren’t allowed to have a cellphone at all. It did have advantages like socializing, we ate lunch together and hung out together. We also did a lot of activities together but it didn’t do any good in my academics. Most parents and teachers worry that having a phone would be a distraction from having a better grade but for me, I had higher grades when I had my phone compared to my old grade when I didn’t have my phone. Although it might be distracting in class, it helped me a lot by using it for research or listening to music when I wanted to study. It also helped me to contact my parents whenever I wanted. I would not welcome a ban in my school because I learn with my phone since I work better when I research and take notes and most of my teachers just lecture.

— Yohanan, Vancouver, WA

When cellphones/messaging devices started out they were a hit. They gave some brief release for students that need a second to rest so they can focus better. This is still true today. I have to go through 5 periods without a break where I am either sitting at a desk or walking to class. Those few moments with my phone help a lot. Our attention spans are not infinite. Cellphones in schools also give me a connection to my home and parents when I need to talk to them. There has never been a student that has done poorly on a test and didn’t want to vent it out to someone. For me, this is my mom and dad. They are always good at calming me down and stopping me from spiraling. Without cellphones, I would never have that person close to help me.

— Tyson, Fountain Valley

There have been a few times this year when I’ve had to text my parents to come pick me up because I’ve been sick and needed to go home. The ease with which I was able to contact them would no longer exist if a phone ban was implemented, as not every teacher allows students free access to the office without a “valid” reason (and sickness isn’t always seen as such). Even if I were able to go to the office to reach my parents, the time this process took would be significantly longer. Thus, cellphone bans are simply too extreme for most schools, and districts should instead consider other forms of restriction to have the benefits of bans, without the consequences.

— Charlotte, Midtown High School

And a few thought students, rather than teachers or the school, should bear the burden for using their phones responsibly.

I don’t think schools should ban cellphones and I would not welcome a cellphone ban in my school. I think as high school students we need to be responsible for our own actions. If you are a student and you are on your phone in your class you need to accept the consequences that your grades and understanding of the material will suffer. Students need to learn how to pay attention in class without getting on their phones. In college no teachers are going to be getting them in trouble for being on their phones. How will they teach themselves the self control to not be on your phone in class?

— Kathryn, Maury High School

I have mixed emotions on this topic. I feel that high schoolers should be held responsible for their own education. If they choose to not pay attention in class and not take advantage of all the tools that their teachers are giving them, then they should do whatever they want. As 15-year-olds and up, high school teachers should not be held responsible for 100+ students learning. The student themselves needs to be responsible for their own learning and their own grades.

— Emily, Baker High School

At least one student said working to address the root causes of teenage “cellphone addiction” might be a better approach.

Many students are drawn to scrolling through social media as a coping mechanism or an escape from the fact that they struggle with school or have been otherwise discouraged from learning and connecting with their peers. While these are not excuses for being distracted or disrespectful, working to address the root causes of the widespread cellphone addiction might be more helpful long-term than a cellphone ban. While the ban seems to be an effective short term solution for the school day, it might harm students when they go to college or find themselves in a world where there are no strict bans and they must self-regulate their screen time. Working to address these root causes as well as fostering responsibility would help young people feel more connected to the world around them and better prepare them for the world.

— Abigail, Maury High School- Norfolk, VA

In the end, some saw the appeal of a ban but worried it would “only intensify” students’ negative attitudes toward school.

I understand why a ban might seem appealing to certain teachers and administrators, however, I also believe that it would be more harmful than beneficial in the long run. Many students already have negative attitudes toward school: a major cause of stress and dread for some. I strongly feel a cellphone ban would only intensify these negative attitudes towards school as a whole. It wouldn’t motivate students to attend, and would almost villainize the school itself. It just isn’t worth it. Speaking from experiences at my school and things that I’ve noticed, I observe that the majority of students do a good job staying off their phones and paying attention during class. Our school doesn’t strongly restrict phones, and it has never really been a problem. Additionally, I feel that a ban on cellphones would only do so much. If a student really wants to be on their phone, they will find a way to do so regardless of whatever ban may or may not be in place.

— Natalie, Glen Ellyn, IL

Learn more about Current Events Conversation here and find all of our posts in this column .

Schools don't want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution?

Tweens, teens and their parents have mixed reviews of the new restrictions amid concerns about the effects on safety. advocates cite benefits on young people’s academic achievement and mental health..

In Flint, Michigan, students will return to class after winter break with a new rule in place : Their cellphones (and hoodies) will be banned from school, largely in the name of safety.

“When we think about our scores, when we think about all of the things that are surrounding the hurt and the pain that our scholars are feeling, cellphones are a big deal,” Superintendent Kevelin Jones II said ahead of the Flint school board’s vote Dec. 13 . “It’s a big part of the bullying. It's a big part of the reason why our scholars are not on task in class.”

The move is part of a growing – and familiar – trend. Such bans, which have been around with fluctuating popularity since the devices first cropped up, are back in the United States and around the world. Guidance recommending a ban took effect in England in October after the establishment of similar policies in recent years in Finland and France . A rule in the Netherlands is set to take effect this month .

In many cases, the rules are stricter than ever, prohibiting the devices at all times and in all locations throughout the school day and accompanied by severe consequences for rulebreakers. In Florida, for example, after the adoption this past summer of a statewide ban on cellphones during instructional time, at least one district took the rule further : In Orange County in the center of the state, use of cellphones is prohibited during lunch and in between class periods .

Tweens and teens have mixed reviews of the new restrictions, as do their parents. Proponents cite the benefits of phone-free schools for young people’s academic achievement and social-emotional well-being . At time when hundreds of districts have sued or considered suing social media companies over accusations that the platforms damage kids’ mental health, some students acknowledge the positive effect the rules have had on school climate: Kids are talking face to face again. They’re playing on the playground instead of on their screens.

But it’s hard to design and enforce an effective policy when kids are so glued to their devices and learning is so dependent on technology – when parents are so concerned, rightfully so, about school safety . Are strict bans the best way to curb the potential damage caused by cellphones?

2023 saw the return of school cellphone bans

Rules about cellphones range from students having unrestricted access to their devices all day long to locking them in specialty pouches upon entering the school and unlocking them on the way out.

Bans on devices are hardly a new phenomenon: New York City public schools banned communication devices – then namely beepers – in 1988 . Enforcement was, as it often is now, a patchwork, however. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg responded by sending metal detectors to schools at random starting in 2006. Former Mayor Bill DeBlasio ended the ban in 2015.

In fact, according to federal data , about 90% of school districts banned cellphones in the 2009-10 school year, and that fell to 65% by 2015. It ticked up to about 78% during the first school year disrupted by the pandemic, with the return to in-person classes, complete with adolescents glued to their screens, leading to a wave of new restrictions.

Back in Michigan, Flint schools used to prohibit the devices but then opened up to them as technology and learning circumstances changed, officials noted at the December meeting. Many schools nationally had moved away from bans to avoid penalizing kids who rely on them for their school work. Then came the chronic distractions and fighting, threats and filming of violence.

Now, personal electronic devices will be prohibited on school property and school buses during the school day. Some worried the policy was Draconian and patronizing. Yet the harm that comes from rampant cellphone use, the Flint school board concluded, outweighs the harm of banning them from campus. The district did not respond to requests for comment during the holiday break.

Teens, advocates: Bans are impractical, unfair

Schools in the nation’s capital lack a universal rule on access to cellphones, according to the school district. That leads to inconsistent policies and punishment as far as who is disciplined and when, said Shahad Mohieldin, a program coordinator for the Young Women’s Project, which helps develop leadership skills in teens at 22 schools in Washington.

Schools may intend to target apps or curb recording of video at school, but for the teens Mohieldin works with, the phone is a necessity to communicate with a parent who needs them to pick up a younger sibling from school or has another pressing concern. “They’re not calling the main office,” she said.

“Phones are a part of everyday life,” said Mohieldin, who started a Change.org petition challenging a ban at several D.C. schools. “I understand they can be distracting,” but students use their phones as calculators, to play music to stay focused or even connect with a therapist during the school day.

Cellphones at school: Should you let your kids have one? Are they even allowed?

And the most restrictive policies, Mohieldin said she has observed, have been installed at schools where a large majority of students are Black or brown or from low-income families. One school has reversed its policy since her April petition.

The imbalances in discipline are a major driving force behind the nearly 1,000 petitions on Change.org by students and parents in protest of cellphone bans at their schools . The aggrieved teens also cite everything from studies showing music improves focus to possible family emergencies and school shootings.

Sophomore Brennan Stephens is among those who wants cellphones back on his campus. Barbe High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana, restricts cellphone use from 7:43 a.m. to 3:06 p.m., he said in an email. “If we are caught using them, it’s a major infraction.” That means in-school suspension or spending a day suspended from school altogether.

Stephens, 15, is adamant that access to his phone is a necessity for him and his classmates. “We need it because what if something happened at school? And what if we needed to be in direct contact with someone in case of medical emergencies?” He described a classmate whose mother has epilepsy and needs constant contact in case she experiences a seizure. What, Stephens wondered, is that kid supposed to do if that happens and they can’t be reached?

Active shooter situations are another concern that has come up frequently in debates over cellphone bans, though some experts say students aren't necessarily any safer with their devices on them.

More school districts consider suing social media companies

Proponents of bans say the inconvenient truth is that today’s teens may be ill-equipped to manage cellphone use on their own. A growing body of research frames young people’s usage of cellphones, and specifically social media, as addictive and psychologically deleterious, correlating with rising rates of depression and anxiety. Last year, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory warning of the effects of social media on mental health in young people.

Lawyer William Shinoff has lined up hundreds of school districts – about 820 and counting from school systems in 32 states – that are interested in suing social media companies over their effects on students. The companies have often cited federal law stating they are not responsible for the content on their platforms , but Shinoff highlighted a separate lawsuit brought by more than 40 states against Meta , the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accusing the company of purposefully engineering its platforms to be addictive. The school district suits seek greater parental controls and better response when content about a student that can cause harm is posted.

Shinoff also hopes the litigation forces social media companies to change. “What you’ll hear from these companies is: ‘Blame the parents. Take their cellphones away, or iPads,’” he said. “Everyone’s realistic: Social media’s going nowhere. We want to make sure it’s safe for the children.”

But change through litigation takes time. For many districts, banning cellphones is more immediate means of restricting social media usage in the interest of students’ mental health.

Do cellphones interfere with learning?

Also fueling the 2023 trend toward cellphone restrictions is evidence of its harmful effects on academics. The latest results of an international standardized assessment point to significant rates of students worldwide being distracted by their own or their peers’ devices, and find that students are less likely to report distractions when there are bans.

Even turned off but in a student’s pocket or backpack, cellphones can be detrimental, said Kathleen McNutt, the head of Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where student access to their devices is restricted. “They feel that beep and their attention span is shot,” McNutt said. She has counseled the staff to put their phones away, too.

“Let’s not be walking through the hallways and texting. We are not Jesus for one another if we’re looking at our phone.”

One recent Common Sense Media analysis of a small group of adolescents found they received nearly 240 cellphone notifications over the course of the day, a fourth of them during school.

And those distractions take up so much of students’ time and mental energy that they often stall learning. A body of research backs this up. A 2016 study of schools in England, for example, showed banning cellphones can have academic benefits, particularly for students who struggle in school. The body of research has grown since then, with much of the literature suggesting such policies correlate with improved student achievement.

“There’s almost a consensus that mobile phones are hurtful” to children’s learning, said Louis-Philippe Beland, an economics professor at Canada’s Carleton University who co-wrote the study.

Pandemic learning: Showing up to school was hard amid COVID. Why aren’t kids (or teachers) returning to class?

High-achieving students tend to do well in school no matter what, Beland said. But lower-achieving ones are more likely to get distracted, which makes them more susceptible to the detrimental effects of cellphones in the classroom.

A host of other studies, including from Belgium, Spain and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, also show that banning mobile phones from schools improves academic performance, especially for low-performing students.

Against that backdrop, a United Nations report from last July concluded by recommending a global ban on cellphones in schools. Around the world, almost 1 in 4 countries have introduced such bans in laws or policies. Specifically, 13% of countries have laws and 14% have policies that ban mobile phones.

How to discipline kids over cellphone use

Yet the international data came with caveats. Across countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 30% of students in schools with cellphone bans report using their phones several times a day. The lack of consistent enforcement may then fuel unhealthy phone habits outside the school day. “Students in schools with cell phone bans might not have adequate opportunities to develop self-directed strategies for using cell phones,” an OECD report notes.

Todd Chandler has noticed improvements in his students’ mental health and social interactions since implementing a strict cellphone ban this school year at Luxemburg-Casco Middle School near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Students have to keep their devices in their lockers from first to last bell.

Today’s middle schoolers, he noted, were born sometime between 2009 and 2011, around the same time smartphones were cropping up and exploding in popularity. “The students we serve right now have spent their entire lives with the ability to have that kind of personal technology,” Chandler said.

The school has experimented with different cellphone policies over the years, including a red zone, green zone model in which kids can use their devices in certain campus locations. The bathrooms and locker rooms were obvious red zones, and teachers could also designate their classrooms as such if they chose.

But the lack of consistency made it difficult to enforce and apply in an effective way, Chandler said, and the increase in cellphone problems in recent years made it clear for the school community that a stricter rule was needed. The strict rules, however, are matched with education and reasonable expectations, he said.

Luxemburg-Casco takes a five-step approach to disciplining kids over cellphone infractions, for example, starting with a visit to the school office, followed by a chat with the family and ending, after repeated offenses, with regular check-ins with the office. Students get lessons in P.E. class on the mental health and academic consequences of being glued to screens and social media. That includes watching “ Screenagers ,” the documentary that helped convince him of the need for a more restrictive policy and that spearheads the “Away for the Day” campaign.

‘People are talking a lot more’

The early results have been promising, he said. Not only do students seem more engaged and connected with one another, they also seem to have acclimated to the rule. On Day 1, the school had to confiscate 10 or so devices, according to Chandler; by Day 2, it had gone down to six devices. And ever since, the daily numbers have been nominal if not zero.

“It seems as though the kids are feeling some of the positive effects of it,” he said. “And they seem to be communicating with each other more directly in places like the cafeteria during lunchtime.”

Parents have also embraced the change: About 80% have supported it in surveys. One of families’ most common concerns was safety – what happens in, for example, an active shooter situation?

This was one of Chandler’s biggest question marks, too. But after consulting with local law enforcement, the school concluded allowing students to have cellphones on them wouldn’t necessarily make them safer. Too many cellphone calls can clog up lines in an emergency situation; kids can become distracted and less alert. Classrooms also come equipped with their own phones, and teachers are allowed to keep their devices with them as well.

“It’s a big change for people,” said Owen Mears, 14, an eighth grader. He said it hasn’t affected him much, but “some people struggle with it.”

Fellow eighth grader Grant Seering, also 14, said he has found the school climate is much friendlier without classmates glued to their phones.

“People are talking a lot more, even with teachers. (It’s) a more fun atmosphere here,” he said. “You have to do other things, like actually talk to your friends.”

Contact Alia Wong at (202) 507-2256 or [email protected]. Follow her on X at @aliaemily.

Banning mobile phones in schools: beneficial or risky? Here’s what the evidence says

Distinguished Research Professor, Monash University

Disclosure statement

Neil Selwyn receives research funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Government Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT), Australian Communications Consumer Action Network & AuDA Foundation.

Monash University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

Bahasa Indonesia

Victorian education minister James Merlino’s announcement mobile phones will be banned for all students at state primary and secondary schools is certainly a bold move.

The policy has been justified as a direct response to mounting levels of cyberbullying, concerns over distractions and schools struggling with discipline relating to students’ misuse of phones.

Students will have to switch off their phones and store them in lockers from the start of the school day until the final bell. In case of an emergency, parents or guardians can reach their child by calling the school.

The minister said in a statement :

The only exceptions to the ban will be where students use phones to monitor health conditions, or where teachers instruct students to bring their phone for a particular classroom activity.

Whether to allow student use of mobile phones in school is certainly a hot topic in education. The Victorian announcement follows a French government ban on mobiles in school in 2018. Debates on the issue are also taking place in Denmark , Sweden and the United Kingdom .

There is considerable public support for banning mobiles. In our recently conducted survey of more than 2,000 Australian adults, nearly 80% supported a ban on mobile phones in classrooms. Just under one-third supported an outright ban from schools altogether.

Support for a classroom ban was remarkably consistent across different demographics, including political affiliation and age group.

But while banning phones from classrooms, and from school altogether, might seem sensible, there are number of reasons to be cautious. It’s clear we need to carefully consider how we want to make use of digital devices being brought into schools. But previous experience, such as in New York, suggests a blanket ban might introduce even more problems.

And the little research evidence that addresses the issue is mixed.

What’s the evidence?

Reports of cyberbullying have clearly gone up among school-aged children and young people over the past ten years, but the nature and precedents of cyberbullying are complex.

Research suggests there is a large overlap between cyberbullying and traditional forms of bullying, which wouldn’t then follow that digital devices are somehow causing these behaviours.

Cyberbullying also often takes place outside school hours and premises. There is a danger banning phones from classrooms might distract education staff from having to continue with efforts to address the more immediate causes of cyberbullying.

Read more: Teenagers need our support, not criticism, as they navigate life online

There is also a growing literature exploring the links between digital devices and classroom distractions. The presence of phones in the classroom is certainly found to be a source of multi-tasking among students of all ages – some of which can be educationally relevant and much of which might not.

But the impact of these off-task behaviours on student learning outcomes is difficult to determine. A review of 132 academic studies concluded, it is

difficult to determine directions and mechanisms of the causal relations between mobile phone multitasking and academic performance.

There is also a strong sense from classroom research that issues of distraction apply equally to laptops , iPads and other digital devices.

All told, the sense from academic literature is that the realities of smartphone use in classrooms are complex and decidedly messy. Our own research into how smartphones are being used in Victorian classrooms highlighted the difficulties teachers face in policing student use (what some teachers described as requiring “five minutes of firefighting” at the beginning of every lesson).

Despite this, we also found instances of students using smartphones for a range of beneficial purposes – from impromptu information seeking to live-streaming lessons for sick classmates.

Read more: Schools are asking students to bring digital devices to class, but are they actually being used?

These benefits are also reflected in classroom studies elsewhere in the world. Research from Stanford University has demonstrated , for instance, that with proper support and preparation, teachers in even the most challenging schools can “build on the ways students already use technology outside of school to help them learn in the classroom”.

There is now a whole academic field known as “ m-Learning ” where researchers have explored the pedagogical and learning advantages of using mobile devices (including phones) in lessons.

But what about a blanket ban from school altogether? Experience from elsewhere suggests enforcing a mobile ban in schools may not be as easy as it sounds.

What we can learn from others

The New South Wales government announced a review into the benefits and risks of mobile phone use in schools in June 2018, led by child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg. At the review’s completion, the government said it would only ban mobile phones from the state’s primary schools, leaving secondary schools free to make their own choice.

We recognise that technology plays an important and increasing role as students progress through their education […] We want to give secondary schools the flexibility to balance the benefits and risks of technology in the way that best supports their students.

Perhaps the most pertinent example is the ban enforced in New York City from 2006, that was eventually lifted in 2015.

The reasons given for this reversal highlighted several of the concerns the new ban in Victoria will likely face. They include practical difficulties of enforcing a ban in the classroom being exacerbated by banning of phone use during break times and lunchtimes.

First, it was clear the New York ban was being inconsistently enforced by schools – with better resourced schools in more affluent areas more likely to bend the rules and permit student use. In contrast, schools in lower-income areas with metal detectors were more likely to be rigidly enforcing the ban.

Other motivations for lifting the ban were concerns over student safety such as the need for students to contact family members during break times and lunchtimes. Families were also incurring costs to store phones securely outside of the school. There was also a recognition teachers should be trusted to exercise their professional judgement as to how they could be making good educational use of devices in their lessons.

Read more: Should mobile phones be banned in schools? We asked five experts

At the same time, it was reckoned government resources were better directed toward supporting students to learn how to use technology responsibly through cyber-safety lessons.

All these reasons are as relevant now to Victorian schools as they were to New York City schools in 2015. The use (and non-use) of mobile phones in schools is certainly an issue we need to have a proper conversation about. But it might not be as clear-cut as the recent policy announcements suggest.

Mobile phones
technology in schools
mobile phone ban

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Marketing

Data Manager

Research Support Officer

Director, Social Policy

Head, School of Psychology

Schools Say No to Cellphones in Class. But Is It a Smart Move?

Sexting. Cyberbullying. Googling test answers. Taking a picture of a quiz and sending it to friends who have the same class later in the day. Paying more attention to Instagram notifications than biology class.

Smartphones have transformed the way we communicate, but there’s no question they can be a major headache for teachers and administrators.

That’s why a flurry of schools have recently put in place restrictions or bans on students’ use of cellphones in school. The changes represent a pivot away from the more open student cellphone policies that districts instituted in previous years. But not everyone thinks the new restrictions are a step in the right direction.

The recent changes are fueled by frustrated educators, who worry that by allowing students to spend so much time on their devices, they are feeding an addiction and stunting students’ development of face-to-face communication skills.

That was a big reason why the Forest Hills district, near Grand Rapids, Mich., decided at the start of this school year to ban cellphones throughout the school day, even during lunch.

“We really wanted to provide a clean break for students and not have the frenetic energy that can happen if kids start texting each other or social-media posts start going,” said Dan Behm, the superintendent. The district piloted the ban last school year and found that students said they were less anxious when they weren’t so attached to their devices, Behm added.

More than 30 schools, or in some cases, entire districts have enacted or stepped up some sort of cellphone restrictions beginning in either the 2018-19 school year or the start of this academic year, according to an Education Week analysis.

California recently passed legislation that allows school districts to restrict or prohibit device use in class, although it’s not a requirement. And at least four other states debated putting significant limits on the devices.

Other countries have had more success enacting widespread bans. Ontario, a Canadian province, is restricting student cellphone use during instructional time. (The restrictions, which are scheduled to go into effect later this year, include an exception for classroom activities and health and other emergencies.) And in 2018, France passed a law outlawing the use of cellphones in schools for students up to age 15.

But banning cellphones can come with its own vexations. Enforcement can be difficult, and districts are wary of taking on liability for holding a student’s confiscated phone. Many teachers like using some cellphone-based applications in class, such as online microscopes and polling applications.

What’s more, some experts say it’s better to keep cellphones in school and help train students how to use them responsibly, rather than just banning their use.

Plenty of educators agree.

Brian Toth, the superintendent of Saint Mary’s Area school district in northwestern Pennsylvania, said he’d never consider nixing student cellphone use in school—even though some of his teachers have asked him to do so.

Toth said the devices can be a great teaching tool. Educators in his district check for student understanding using cellphone applications like Kahoot, or they send their students on scavenger hunts that also rely on cellphone technology. And the district’s instructional-technology coach focuses on teaching students to use their devices responsibly.

“Anybody who wants to ban it is just hiding from reality,” Toth said. “It’s just common, everyday practice these days that you have a cellphone.”

Parents’ Big Concerns

Restricting cellphone use is a lot easier said than done. There are big concerns, for instance, about school safety. How could parents get in touch with their children during a school shooting or a dangerous weather event?

One school in Wisconsin had a low-tech solution: Families could call the front office, just like they did before cellphones were so ubiquitous, said Jo-Ellen Fairbanks, the assistant principal of Portage High School, which requires students to keep their cellphones in their lockers during the school day.

And during an emergency, students are best off making sure they concentrate on following through with a safety plan, not staring at their cellphone screens, said Adam Gelb, the assistant principal of San Mateo High School near San Francisco, which recently required students to keep their cellphones in a pouch that renders them inoperable during the school day.

Cellphone-Restriction Legislation

Canada’s Ontario province and France have enacted significant restrictions on student cellphone use in schools. But measures restricting cellphone use have been much harder to pass in the United States. Here’s a list of the states that have recently considered some sort of student cellphone restriction: California : Allows school districts or charter schools to limit or prohibit the use of smartphones during school hours. Status: Enacted. Arizona : Called for a public policy that portable electronic devices should not be used in classrooms unless specifically authorized by “the individual having authority over the public school classroom.” Status: Failed. Maine : Required the department of education to adopt rules restricting the use of cellphones by students. Allowed students to use their cellphones in the front office of the school in the event of an emergency. Status: Failed. Maryland : Established a task force to study the impact of student cellphone use in classrooms on student learning and teacher instruction and report its findings to the legislature. Status: Failed. Utah : Required individual public schools to develop a policy on the use of cellphones in school and submit that policy to district officials every two years. Status: Failed. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures; Education Week

“Nowhere in any [safety protocol] does it say get on your cellphone and notify a family member,” he said.

But some parents want to be able to reach their children at any time—even if it means texting them in class, educators say.

Reaction from families to a recent ban on cellphones in the Warwick district near Providence, R.I., has been mixed. Some are supportive. Others “have said, ‘You can tell us what to do when you pay our phone bill,’ ” said Karen Bachus, the chairwoman of the school board.

What’s more, enforcing a ban can bring with it its own set of administrative hasssles. The nation’s largest school district, New York City, dropped its cellphone ban in 2015, in part because it was being enforced more harshly in lower-income schools than more advantaged ones.

The Marshall school district, in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, also dropped its cellphone ban several years ago.

What the policy largely prompted was kids texting under their desks or hiding their phones under big sweatshirts, said Principal Brian Jones.

A total ban “sounds great, I just don’t think it’s realistic. I don’t like to have unenforceable policies,” Jones said.

What’s more, he added, “for some students, the anxiety of not having that device with them caused more harm than good. It reminded me of the cartoon [Peanuts and] Charlie Brown and Linus with his blanket.”

Now, the district allows students to use their phones after school, during lunch, and at some times during the school day, if it is for educational purposes. “They’ve got to learn how to self-regulate once they leave us,” Jones said.

‘Have a Plan, Not a Ban’

That philosophy jibes with recommendations from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit based in San Francisco that focuses on children, technology, and media.

In an April survey, Common Sense found that 80 percent of schools implement some kind of cellphone policy. About a quarter of teachers find cellphone policies difficult to follow, while roughly two-thirds find them easy to follow, according to the survey. High school teachers were more likely to report that implementing cellphone policies was difficult.

Educators should “have a plan, not a ban,” said Elizabeth Kline, the organization’s vice president for education. “There isn’t a real reason to have a ban, but there is absolutely a big need to have clear guidelines and guidance for both students and parents around personal devices.”

Cellphones can be an important teaching tool, Kline pointed out. Kids can create their own videos using cellphones, and teachers can integrate special apps for understanding concepts or investigating questions.

There’s also a big equity issue, she said. Some students may not have laptops—or even internet connectivity—at home. So their cellphones may be the only way they can complete some technology-focused assignments.

Still, expectations need to be clear.

“If you’re using the phone for learning, then the whole class has to agree that they are not going to be snapchatting in the middle of a lesson on velocity,” Kline said.

And educators need to make sure they model those behaviors, which means not checking their own text messages during class, she said.

Extremes Miss the Point

Kline emphasized that by absolutely prohibiting cellphones, districts could miss out on an opportunity to teach their students how to use the devices responsibly and in moderation.

“There are moments at school or at home that should be device-free moments,” Kline said. “Letting kids go wild with no norms or rules is not the right thing to do. Both extremes are missing the point.”

The Novi district, in the Detroit suburbs, strives for that balance.

Cellphones must stay in lockers all day at the middle school and are not allowed in elementary schools. But at the high school level, students are allowed to have phones in class, under limited circumstances. The teacher sets a color—red, for no phones allowed; yellow, which signifies that phones can be out if the class isn’t moving forward with new content; and green, which is typically used when the devices are part of a lesson.

To be sure, the district, like most in the country, still sees its share of problems stemming from cellphones, including a lunchroom of students texting each other instead of engaging in conversation. (“Like adults do in restaurants,” said Steve Matthews, the superintendent.) But the district also wants to instill social-media lessons, including showing students how to be careful about what they tweet out or share on social media.

“There are times it would be easier to just ban [phones] altogether, but we don’t want to communicate to kids that school isn’t relevant to their lives,” Matthews said. “We’re trying to help them use it in an appropriate and meaningful way.”

Maya Riser-Kositsky, Librarian and Data Specialist contributed to this article. A version of this article appeared in the September 11, 2019 edition of Education Week as Schools Say No to Cellphones: Should They?

Sign Up for EdWeek Tech Leader

Edweek top school jobs.

Sign Up & Sign In

Argumentative Essay Example: Cell Phones Should Be Banned in Schools

Do you ever sit in a class and realize that students aren’t paying attention because they are distracted by their cell phones? In free periods, just about every student sits on their phone with their head down. Why waste time when you can spend that free time doing school work or interacting with others? In other classes, students are missing out on information because they are on their cell phones. Cell phones are just setting up students for failure. Do we really want students to fail? No. Cell phones should be banned in schools.

The main reason why students miss out on information is because of cell phones. When students sit on their cell phones during class, it makes it very difficult for them to stay focused. Since the use of cell phones has increased, cyberbullying is also starting to increase. During the school day, if a student sees that they are left out of a group chat or sees a photo to which they compare themselves too, can make it hard for them to stay focused throughout the school day.

Along with students being distracted, cell phones have caused a decline in communication between students. Joe Clemet, a U.S. government teacher, and Matt Miles, also a teacher, have said that “free periods have deteriorated from lively talk among students and teachers to silent screen reading, each student in a little world.” Clement thought that he could bring back the lively talk of students during a free period class by restricting cell phones. Students responded by not showing up and going to a different free period class where cell phones weren’t restricted. It has also been found that cell phone use increases the rate of depression. Face-to-face time with friends decreases depression. Creating a school environment without cell phones can help students have a face-to-face interaction with others. This will help create a healthy environment for students in school.

Furthermore, cell phone use does not boost achievement. Students who are on their cell phones during class time, tend to perform worse on tests (usually a full letter grade or more). According to a study in 2017, some participants were told to keep their cell phones nearby, and the other participants were told to put their cell phones in a different room. Each participant was asked to perform a memory task. The participants with their cell phones did much worse than the participants who didn’t have their cell phones. For instance, in one of my classes, I see students who don’t even pick up their heads because they are on their cell phones. When it's time for them to take a test, they have no idea what they are doing. When they get their test grade back, they seem to not know why they performed so poorly. They performed so poorly because they were distracted by their cell phone. They don’t realize all the information they missed out on. Some schools have changed their cell phone policy and they saw an increase in test scores by 6.41%. This shows that cell phones are causing students to perform poorly.

Finally, some schools believe that the use of cell phones should not be banned. Some schools have even worked cell phones into the daily curriculum. From text reminders to school apps, cell phones are making the learning system much easier. Even though cell phones are making the learning system easier, there will be a higher chance that students will cheat, cell phones will still cause distractions, and there will still be less interaction. Even if cell phones are useful tools for the learning system, they still won’t solve these problems.

In conclusion, cell phones create an unhealthy environment for students. They cause distractions, failure, and less interactions. Cell phones are an unhealthy distraction for students. They should be banned in schools.

Related Samples

Essay Sample: Robot Teachers vs. Human Teachers
Impactful Outcomes of Stress Essay Example
The American Purpose of Education Essay Example
Importance of Higher Education Essay Example
Can Modern Technologies Replace Teachers Essay Example
The Value of Education Essay Example. The Analysis of I Just Wanna Be Average and Discovering the Power of Language
Getting to the Finish Line. What is College Life Essay Example
Essay Sample on Sexual Education in School
Pasco's School Bus Problem (Essay Example)
The Brotherhood Initiative Admission Essay Example

Didn't find the perfect sample?

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Entertainment
Environment
Information Science and Technology
Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Information Science and Technology Cell Phones

Why Cell Phones Should Not Be Banned In Schools

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

Computer Hacking
World Wide Web
Computer Software
Mobile Phone
Network Security

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Your voice matters. Help us build the future of PublicSource.

PublicSource

Stories for a better Pittsburgh.

Phones and kids: What experts say and how local schools are responding

Schools take action

To help control negative effects from cell phone overuse, schools are increasingly invoking strict rules to eliminate phones in classrooms. And earlier this month, state Senator Ryan Aument, R–Lancaster, drafted a bill to lock up student phones due to the “steep decline in mental health in children since the early 2010s,” according to his website .

Data from Common Sense Media also found that 97% of students surveyed used a phone on average for 43 minutes during school hours, and 37% of that time was spent on social media.

Robinson says no to proposed Islamic-themed school, citing traffic

Here’s how it works: Over the course of about 10 minutes, nearly 600 students in grades 7 through 12 enter their school building, hand their phones to a staff member who places it in an envelope with the child’s name on it, then it’s put in a bin to be locked in storage for the day. The students then pass through metal detectors and head to breakfast. Phones are returned by the students’ last period teachers during the day’s final five minutes.

The process was planned carefully and has been running smoothly. “We are very good at it,” said Sto-Rox Superintendent Megan Marie Van Fossan. “We’re very strategic.”

Van Fossan said kids have begun talking to each other again in the cafeteria. Back when phones were allowed, the cafeteria was a relatively quiet place where students were focused on their phones rather than one another. Mornings in the hallway are now the same: Rather than scrolling on their phones or texting, students are greeting each other as the day begins.

Rather than revolving around social media, these students’ days are full of in-person interaction and connection. No parents have complained about the policy, Van Fossan said, and the rule isn’t difficult to enforce.

Why ban phones?

Phones were taken out of seventh and eighth grade classrooms last year and were never permitted in kindergarten. But the choice to start a district wide ban came because of increasing safety and security concerns.

Beyond helping with focus, the new system also helps inspire kids to be on time: Late students must drop off — and retrieve — their phones at the school’s office, potentially adding 20 minutes to the end of their school day.

In the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ 54 buildings, the electronic device policy “generally prohibits students from using, displaying or turning on cell phones on school grounds.” And in some PPS high school buildings, student phones are sealed in pouches at the start of the day.

Horticulture, horses and ‘Chill Rooms’: Northgate district goes all-in on mental health support

But in many buildings, students have traditionally kept their phones with them.

In recent years, PPS counselors have seen increases in cyber bullying in addition to anxiety and depression symptoms in students who arrive at school upset from social media postings made after school hours.

What can help besides banning?

To help win that battle, Woodard said it’s important for educators and school counselors to support the whole child, academically and personally by:

Being aware of the potential negative effects of social media and cell phone use, and promoting a balance of use with students.
Doing one-on-one counseling or, when appropriate, group counseling for students who are experiencing the same issues. The group can meet and discuss healthy solutions.
Teaching healthy boundaries, like self-advocacy skills (how to stand up for yourself, how to deal with social media comparison to unrealistic standards that affect self-esteem and how to deal with cyberbullying) and finding trusted adults they can confide in.

Pa. House Democrats float $5.1 billion plan to lift state’s poorest schools

Some parents, Woodard said, are anxious about phones being taken away from students. They want to have instant communication with their child in the event of an emergency.

“From the school level, we can always assure them,” she said, “that if there is an emergency there are systems in place where the educational team will get in touch with the parent.”

What is a starter phone?

Starter phones are entry-level devices that allow kids to text, call and store photos. Some have limited access to the Internet or social media. They come in many shapes and sizes, and are usually budget-friendly. Here are some options parents may want to pursue.

The Bark Android phone has parental controls included. It sends alerts about your child’s texts and searches and has location tracking. Approval to download apps is necessary. You can also install a Bark parental control app on any smartphone. Plans starting at $39/month at Bark.us

Also an Android phone, the Pinwheel has parental controls built in, and there is no web browser so it has no direct access to social media. There are several models. Note that you won’t receive alerts about messages that will be a potential problem. The Plus 3 model is $489 on Amazon.

The iPhone SE lets parents manage how much screen time a child spends in their browser. Through Apple’s Family Sharing, parents set screen time permission, approve what their child buys or downloads, and can disable apps and set limits from their own device. Like almost any iPhone, it can be set up with Apple’s parental controls. Costs starts at $429 from Apple.

The TCL Flip 2 flip phone allows calling and messaging, and it includes simple games and a limited web browser, at $100 from Amazon.

The Nokia 2780 Flip phone is easy to use for texting and calling, running $90 at Best Buy.

The Gabb Phone has no internet or social media and no app store. It does include a GPS tracker, and other basics like a camera, calculator, photo album, for $75 at Gabb.com.

Screen time advice for everyone

Having launched its 5 Cs guideline, the AAP is looking for a way to help parents and educators understand the issues cropping up with phones and other screens, and understand how they can help the children in their lives, said Pamela Schoemer of UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics. Dr. Schoemer tells Kidsburgh she has discussions about screen time effects in about half of her patient visits.

Child (how they are affected by social media and its potential drama, social anxiety and age-inappropriate content)
Content (how media use influences positive or negative relationships through things like violent video games or unrealistic beauty standards)
Ways to Calm down (managing strong emotions and addressing things like having trouble falling asleep)
Crowding out (reducing media usage and replacing it with more family quality time and learning to combat social media’s many “hooks” that keep people scrolling)
Communication (talking as a family about social media and asking questions).

The “calm” element of the guideline, Dr. Schoemer notes, typically comes up when there are issues with falling asleep — something that can spill over into the ability to focus or even stay awake throughout the next school day.

‘Positive culture shock’ spells challenges and triumphs for Afghan teen students

“Kids need the ability to calm themselves and to deal with their emotions,” she said. “So often I see parents, especially with younger kids … putting something [a cell phone or tablet] in front of their child to calm them.”

Explaining that it’s okay to be angry, giving “voice” to a child’s emotions, allowing time and space to process their emotions and giving them control in another way. For example, at bedtime, telling them it’s time to put their tablet or phone away and then asking them to select which pajamas they want to wear.
If they are physically acting out, allowing them to do something active that isn’t violent, like hitting a balloon.
For teens, who may be engaged in an online conversation or some other type of interaction, parents can try making kids aware of their presence and let them know it’s time to move to another activity (like homework or bedtime).

Dr. Schoemer considers that final “C,” communication, to be the best resource for parents. It’s helpful to have discussions about time limits with devices. But communication isn’t just about how many minutes a child is looking at a screen. It’s also important to know what your child is looking at it and explore its impact.

Valuable screen time, like exploring interests, communication with extended family or for schoolwork, is great. Healthy screen habits at home can include educational videos that help deal with emotions or those that encourage an activity, like cooking or science experiments for younger children. Anything on PBS Kids (from “Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” to the friendship-focused show “ City Island “) is suitable for younger children over the age of 2 or 3.

“All screen time isn’t equal, and you have to assess it,” Schoemer said. “If that young person is following an influencer or playing video games with more violence or rudeness or language that you don’t approve of or, unfortunately, is being bullied, those are bad screen times.”

One last note: Kids are smart and may manage to work around parental controls. So parents should check devices, and also educate themselves by consulting friends, pediatricians and other resources like the AAP website or Common Sense Media .

Know more than you did before? Support this work with a gift!

Readers tell us they can't find the information they get from our reporting anywhere else, and we're proud to provide this important service for our community. We work hard to produce accurate, timely, impactful journalism without paywalls that keeps our region informed and moving forward.

However, only about .1% of the people who read our stories contribute to our work financially. Our newsroom depends on the generosity of readers like yourself to make our high-quality local journalism possible, and the costs of the resources it takes to produce it have been rising, so each member means a lot to us.

Your donation to our nonprofit newsroom helps ensure everyone in Allegheny County can stay up-to-date about decisions and events that affect them. Please make your gift of support now.

Updated: ACHD grants increased emissions allowances to Lindy asphalt plant

Pittsburgh apologizes for the inconvenience

Investigations, essay, multimedia and podcast honored with Golden Quills

My detox in jail was horrific. Let’s help others avoid that hell.

Need Suboxone at the Allegheny County Jail? Get up at 3 a.m.

Opinion Ban cellphones in schools? Teachers and a student weigh in.

Two teachers feel relief, but a student says they’re not the real problem. Plus, progress on sports betting should be celebrated.

Regarding the May 8 front-page article “ How the call to ban cellphones went through at one school ”:

As a retired Montgomery County Public Schools teacher, student phones were a major factor in my decision to close out my teaching career.

Unless there is an expansive effort, no one parent is going to put their child in the position of being the only one of their friends without a phone. Socially, it would be devastating. The irony is that phone use is preventing healthy social interaction.

Parents are very influential in MCPS policy. No student wants their mom to be the leader in the school system railing against cellphones. That fact alone is a big deterrent for any one parent to speak out. Parenting is hard enough. To have this fight brought into the home would escalate tension with most teens. Parents are in a no-win situation.

What is the answer? I don’t know, but the conversation needs to pick up. Maybe administrations can intercede, such as what happened in Connecticut. Perhaps parent-teacher associations can poll parents, so they can express their concern privately without having to be a public outlier. Something has to change!

Connie Jacobson , Rockville

The Post’s recent article regarding cellphones in the classroom is both inspiring and illuminating. As a high school teacher of 35 years, I have had a front-row seat to this challenge, the dilemma it poses to administrators and classroom instructors, and the damage cellphones do to our kids. Average Americans, especially those without teenage children, do not fully understand the overwhelming magnitude of the negative effects that these devices have in our classrooms and on our children’s health, even though it has been documented in countless studies. We should applaud the bravery of the school in Connecticut for tackling this issue head-on.

If we knew of a substance that is extremely toxic, would it be allowed in our schools? Of course not. Yet we allow cellphones in classrooms. Protecting our kids should not be a difficult decision.

Salvatore Misuraca , Washington

As a student who has attended a school that confiscates phones before the day starts and a school that does not, I think adults should think about whether phones are the real issue for students.

Going without my phone for a few hours every day isn’t a huge inconvenience because I am with friends who keep me company. However, I don’t think confiscating phones from students will help change their negative mind-set at school. Students already feel as though school takes away their freedom and time to be friends and family. If phones were confiscated, students might react negatively because phones are their only outlet to the outside world during school hours.

Because the middle school I went to was small and everyone went to the same classes, phones weren’t necessary. I knew where my friends were at any time. However, at bigger schools, it is much harder to keep track of your friends without a phone. I use my phone to contact my friends to see where they want to meet up and where we are hanging out during our free periods. Phones can be a distraction, but for some students they are also a great source of communication. If schools confiscated phones, I don’t think it should be the whole day. However, I think it is reasonable for teachers to ask students to put their phones away when there is a lecture or an in-class activity.

Daniela Tormis , Pearland, Tex.

Regarding the May 10 editorial, “ How to scroll through childhood without hanging up on smartphones ”:

The very first sentence of The Post’s recent editorial on smartphones and young people, describing Americans with “shoulders hunched, head down, eyes glued to a smartphone screen” instantly reminded me of a dreary scene that caught my eye recently when my car was stopped at a red light on a downhill street in suburban Virginia.

It was a beautiful day. I rolled down the window for a clearer view of the perky daffodils lining the curbstone and a large hedge of pink azaleas that overhung the sidewalk. I smiled, breathed deeply and whispered a soft word of “thanks.”

At that moment, a teenage boy and girl, both in fashionably torn jeans, trudged up the hill in the exact posture The Post described in that opening line. These teens seemed as if they must be among the nearly 1 in 5 who say they use social media “almost constantly.” I don’t know whether their cellphone use caused them mental distress. The Post’s suggestion that further studies should focus not just on “screen time” but also on what impact different kinds of screen time have on users makes sense to me.

In the meantime, one thing was clear about the phone-addicted teens that I saw. Because of their “experience blockers,” those two were missing the sheer delight of spring flowers in full bloom all around them.

Barbara Morris, Falls Church

Death at sea

The Post’s May 11 analysis “ Bishop vanished. His species can still be saved .,” chronicled the plight of a family of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales and the daily man-made threats they face that have their species on a speedy path to extinction.

But whales and vessels traveling along the Atlantic coast can coexist if we take a common-sense approach to minimize the threat to whales by updating on-the-water protections. President Biden has both the authority and the responsibility to save North Atlantic right whales from extinction.

Almost two years ago, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency responsible for whales, proposed a long-overdue update to U.S. Atlantic vessel speed rules. Those changes would lower the speed limit for the vessels longer than 35 feet, which are most dangerous to right whales, and expand a dynamic zone in which those rules applied, depending on when and where the whales are calving.

But in the time since that comment period has closed, at least five whales and newborn calves have been killed by speeding boats in U.S. waters. Each of these whale deaths is gruesome, painful and heart-wrenching to see. And the possible loss they contribute to is even more painful to contemplate. North Atlantic right whale populations will continue to trend downward if we don’t act soon.

If he fails to implement the new vessel speed rule immediately, Mr. Biden’s lasting legacy could be the first modern extinction of a large whale species in the Atlantic Ocean. Extinction is forever. Slow zones are a reasonable and minor inconvenience for the future survival of a species. Recovery of the North Atlantic right whale is possible if we just stop killing them.

Gib Brogan , Washington

The writer is campaign director of Oceana.

The Post’s May 15 editorial, “ The bad odds of legalized sports betting ,” should have done more to describe the sports betting landscape in the United States before 2018, when the Supreme Court cleared the way for 38 states and D.C. to create legal, regulated markets.

Before 2018, Americans bet an estimated $150 billion annually through black market bookies and rogue offshore websites. These shady operators contributed nothing in tax revenue, invested nothing in responsible gaming programs and offered zero protections for consumer or competition integrity.

Though the promise of capturing tax revenue being lost to the black market surely appealed to many states, a primary motivation in legalizing sports betting was to shut down an illegal market that drained law enforcement resources, took advantage of consumers and funneled money to criminal enterprises. That bet is paying off.

Today, research conducted by the American Gaming Association suggests that an estimated 77 percent of online sports bets are made legally, up from 44 percent in 2019. Seventy-eight percent of bettors rely on regulated gambling operators. And the illegal market has shrunk dramatically from $150 billion to $64 billion . Legal sports betting has enabled customers to transition from predatory operators to regulated markets where taxes are paid, responsible betting tools are ubiquitous, payouts on winning wagers are guaranteed and help is available for those who need it.

The industry is committed to helping people play responsibly, and we welcome the increased attention sports betting’s expansion has brought to the conversation around problem gambling. In fact, because of the tax revenue generated by legal gaming, problem gambling programs are better funded than ever. In 2022, $96 million was earmarked for state problem gambling programs, with nearly every dollar coming from legal gaming taxes.

When we ignore the illegal market, we ignore reality. And we also ignore opportunities to build safer markets for consumers by eroding the illegal market further through competitive, legal alternatives.

Legal sports betting is still in its early days, and we will continue to evolve to enhance entertainment for fans, generate tax revenue for states and promote responsible gambling. That’s progress to be celebrated, not condemned.

Bill Miller , Washington

The writer is president and chief executive of the American Gaming Association.

About letters to the editor

The Post welcomes letters to the editor on any subject, especially those that expand upon the ideas raised by published pieces and those that raise valuable questions about The Post’s practices and choices. Letters should run no more than 400 words, be submitted only to the Post and must be published under your real name. Submit a letter .

Cell phones banned in Ohio schools? School leaders discuss with state government

I NDEPENDENCE, Ohio (WOIO) - Lt. Governor Jon Husted joined school leaders in Independence to talk phone policies in K-12 schools following the new phone policy law signed by Gov. Mike DeWine.

The requires school districts to adopt policies regarding student cellphone use during school hours.

The bill dictates the rules must be adopted by school boards by July 1, 2025, and the rules should make it so cell phone use by students is as limited as possible during school and cell phone related distractions in the classroom should be reduced.

The bill also allows districts to stop students from carrying cellphones in school buildings or on school grounds, but that disciplinary measures must be specified.

It allows for use when written into behavioral plans and to monitor health concerns.

According to a study by Common Sense Media, 97% of kids used their phones during school hours, while nearly 60% used them overnight.

IMAGES

Why Smart Phones Should Be Banned in Class (300 Words)
Should Phones Be Banned In School Persuasive Essay
Argumentative Essay About Banning Cellphones In School
Mobile Phones Essay 2
Debate On Should Mobile Phones Be Allowed In School Against
⇉Cell phones should not be allowed in schools Essay Example

COMMENTS

Experts see pros and cons to allowing cellphones in class
Bans may help protect classroom focus, but districts need to stay mindful of students' sense of connection, experts say. Students around the world are being separated from their phones. In 2020, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 77 percent of U.S. schools had moved to prohibit cellphones for nonacademic purposes.
Why Schools Should Ban Cell Phones in the Classroom—and Why Parents
There are 28 comments on Why Schools Should Ban Cell Phones in the Classroom—and Why Parents Have to Help. saydi. February 26, 2024 at 1:34 pm i found this very helpful with my research. Reply. Link ... Thanks, this helped a lot I'm working on an essay and this has been really helpful.by the way, some people may think, but what if i need to ...
Banning Cell Phones in Schools Essay Example
Some schools that have decided to change their cell phone policy saw an increase in test scores by 6.41%. Based on a study in 2017, some participants were told to keep their cell phones nearby and the other participants were told to put their cell phones in a different room. Then, each participant was asked to perform a memory test.
Should Schools Ban Cellphones?
Cellphones taken from students are kept in a phone safe at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, Fla. Zack Wittman for The New York Times. By Jeremy Engle. Nov. 7, 2023. Nearly one in four ...
What Students Are Saying About School Cellphone Bans
87. Cellphones taken from students are kept in a phone safe at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, Fla. Zack Wittman for The New York Times. By The Learning Network. Nov. 30, 2023. Nearly one in ...
No cellphones in school: Is a ban the answer to keeping kids focused?
Former Mayor Bill DeBlasio ended the ban in 2015. In fact, according to federal data, about 90% of school districts banned cellphones in the 2009-10 school year, and that fell to 65% by 2015. It ...
Banning mobile phones in schools can improve students' academic
We found banning mobile phones at school leads to an increase in student performance. Our results suggest that after schools banned mobile phones, test scores of students aged 16 increased by 6.4% ...
Why a ban on cellphones in schools might be more of a distraction than
The National Party wants a blanket ban on cellphones in school. But international research suggests improving student engagement is complex, and such a policy might even be counterproductive.
Banning mobile phones in schools: beneficial or risky? Here's what the
In our recently conducted survey of more than 2,000 Australian adults, nearly 80% supported a ban on mobile phones in classrooms. Just under one-third supported an outright ban from schools ...
PDF Cell Phones, Student Rights, and School Safety: Finding the Right ...
The role of cell phones and other screen technologies in classrooms continues to generate much dis-cussion and heated debate in Canada, the U.S., and beyond. More specifically, how to best manage the increasing ubiquity of cell phones in schools continues to challenge teachers, pedagogical leaders, ad-ministrators, and policymakers alike.
Banning Cell Phones in Schools: Balancing Benefits and Concerns
Moreover, schools can explore alternatives to complete bans by providing secure storage for cell phones during class hours. This approach ensures that students have access to their devices during designated times, such as breaks, lunch, and after-school activities, while minimizing distractions in the classroom.
Should smartphones be banned in schools? The big debate
Many schools across the world are enforcing bans on smartphones due to issues such as bullying, cheating and disruption in class. In July 2018, the French government even passed a law banning mobile phones in schools. But are there any benefits to having phones in class? And is there a way to harness the available …
Banning Cell Phones in Schools Essay
Banning Cell Phones in Schools Essay. Decent Essays. 580 Words. 3 Pages. Open Document. The usage of cell phones is increasing dramatically in the world today, especially among the student body. The principal's idea of banning cell phones from the school has to be one of the best ideas yet.
Why Cell Phones Should Not Be Allowed in School
When emergencies occur, parents or guardians can reach their child by calling the school. Cell phones will be banned for all students at Victorian state primary and secondary schools from Term 1 2020, to help reduce distraction, tackle cyber bullying and improve learning outcomes for students. One reason for the restrictions is due to the fact ...
States Are Cracking Down on Cellphones in Schools. What That Looks Like
Florida became the first state to ban cellphones in K-12 classrooms last year. Indiana passed a law in April that will ban cellphones in classrooms starting next school year. And as many as eight ...
Where Should Students Be Allowed to Use Cellphones? Here's What
But, overall, educators are divided on the issue. "We should be learning to manage cellphones in the classroom. They are here to stay," one educator said in the survey. "BUT they are the ...
Essay on Banning Cell Phones in School
Decent Essays. 505 Words. 3 Pages. Open Document. Many places in society are setting policies on digital device. The principal at my school has also set policies on banning cell phones in school. Students should not be permitted to use cell phones in school. Using cell phones during school allows students to cheat.
Schools Say No to Cellphones in Class. But Is It a Smart Move?
The nation's largest school district, New York City, dropped its cellphone ban in 2015, in part because it was being enforced more harshly in lower-income schools than more advantaged ones.
Argumentative Essay Example: Cell Phones Should Be Banned in Schools
No. Cell phones should be banned in schools. The main reason why students miss out on information is because of cell phones. When students sit on their cell phones during class, it makes it very difficult for them to stay focused. Since the use of cell phones has increased, cyberbullying is also starting to increase.
Cell Phones Should be Allowed in School: Argumentative Essay
Conclusion. In conclusion, cell phones should be allowed in school, especially for students in grades 10, 11 and 12, because they can be used for school work and are a cheaper alternative for laptops. Banning cell phones for students will not stop them using them.
Schools are banning cellphones as students are more distracted than
Students at the Washington Junior High School in Pennsylvania last year use the unlocking mechanism to open the bags in which their cellphones were sealed during the school day. (Keith Srakocic/AP ...
Should Cell Phones Be Banned In School Essay
Cell Phones In The Classroom Research Paper 1309 Words | 6 Pages. Kennedy Hamlin Mrs. Gallos English 3 Honors 29 March 2018 A Twenty-First Century Problem: Cell Phone Usage in the Classroom Even though banning cell phones reduce distractions in the classroom, phones should be allowed in the classroom, but restricted to school work because it offers more learning opportunities and gets kids ...
Why Cell Phones Should Not Be Banned In Schools
In fact, smart phones should not be banned at schools, for there are three reasons why they are beneficial for students. Firstly, phones are good for academic purposes. Having their smart devices with them, the students can conduct a research on the internet which can help them to understand clearer and gain more knowledge.
Essay on Cell Phone Use in Schools Should Not be Banned
People who support cell phone use in schools are usually teenagers. People who disagree with cell phone use in schools are usually teachers or parents, who think cell phones are a distraction. A lot of students see cell phones as a useful device but many see them as a distraction during class. Throughout this essay you'll read about the pros ...
Phones and kids: Schools limit use amid new pediatric guidelines
To help control negative effects from cell phone overuse, schools are increasingly invoking strict rules to eliminate phones in classrooms. And earlier this month, state Senator Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, drafted a bill to lock up student phones due to the "steep decline in mental health in children since the early 2010s," according to his ...
Momentum Grows for Total Ban on Phones in Schools
A week ago, California's State Assembly voted unanimously to ban smartphones in public schools. The bill is now moving through the State Senate and could be signed into law by the governor as ...
Ban cellphones in schools? Teachers and a student weigh in
Regarding the May 8 front-page article "How the call to ban cellphones went through at one school": As a retired Montgomery County Public Schools teacher, student phones were a major factor in ...
Hochul pushes to ban smartphones in NY schools. Will it help ...
The Democratic governor has plans to introduce a bill banning schoolchildren from carrying smartphones on school grounds. She aimed to approve it during the 2025 legislative session that begins in ...
Cell phones banned in Ohio schools? School leaders discuss with ...
The bill dictates the rules must be adopted by school boards by July 1, 2025, and the rules should make it so cell phone use by students is as limited as possible during school and cell phone ...
Ohio cracking down on cell phone usage in schools
A new state law requires school districts to limit students' cell phone usage in schools, but local officials still have the final say. Why it matters: The law is meant to curb distractions and keep kids focused in the classroom, Gov. Mike DeWine says. The shift to "phone-based" childhoods is making our kids sick and miserable, argues one prominent social psychologist in a recent book ...