Banning students’ phones during the school day has been controversial in recent years, but at least there is a growing conversation about this critical topic. Banning anything in a free society generates debate, because sometimes folks find ways to circumvent such bans or warnings, and sometimes outlawing something makes it even more appealing, especially to young people.
However, what took so long for public schools to get serious about an issue that impacts student learning? This genie has been out of the bottle for over a decade. As an educator, I am quite familiar with the challenges teachers face regarding phone distractions during class periods. Some students attempt to hide their phones under their books, on their laps, or up their sleeves while they pretend to be paying attention to course instruction.
Districts have varying policies regarding phone usage, and rules concerning student phone usage are inconsistently enforced. Some teachers have an effective policy for the non-use of phones. Students either store their phones in their backpacks or teachers have canvas rugs on the wall with pouches to store phones during class time. In secondary school, the pouches are numbered to align with the desk number or desk rows due to different groups of students who attend each class period.
Some officials have suggested that all phones should be stored at the school office or in storage rooms with lockers. That would be too cumbersome and would demand monitoring and security. We are talking about schools that have hundreds or thousands of students who have to drop off phones in the morning and then pick them up at the end of the day. Phones could be lost, misplaced, or stolen in the student stampede.
In classes where phones are not allowed, common sense and observation informs us that greater learning takes place due to reduced distractions, while learning is uneven in classes where teachers lack a consistent policy. In an environment where students already utilize Chromebooks or other computers to complete assignments and read subject material, phones can add to the stimulus overload generated by excessive technology use.
Let’s not forget that public schools are funded by taxpayer dollars. In college, it’s more difficult to restrict student phone usage because students are adults, and they are paying for their education. By contrast, K-12 parents are paying for their children’s education, so it’s sensible that they voice their concerns and have input on phone restriction policies in school districts. Leaving phones at home could be an option for some.
Districts and schools that implement consistent phone policies likely will have support from the teachers as long as the rules are enforced and there is accountability top to bottom. If students don’t face consequences for phone usage, then the policy won’t be effective. Ultimately, it’s up to parents, students, and teachers to be on the same page.
In the long run, it won’t hurt students to experience giving up their phone cold turkey and turning away from their phone fixation during the school day. Over time, they will develop greater situational awareness in the real world, learn to socialize once again, and become more involved with mental and physical exertions.
If it were up to me (which it isn’t), I wouldn’t allow a youngster to even have a phone until their later teen years. They would develop normally with longer attention spans, practice healthy study habits, interact with others, exercise more, and become involved in academics and school activities. Despite the temptations of artificial intelligence, there are no shortcuts to earning a sound education.
Students could learn how to actually read a book, take notes, and be critical thinkers. They might even learn of the dangers posed by excessive technology usage and learn how to use it wisely. Breaking away from the phone obsession will also help students confront reality without falling apart. It will prepare them for the rigors of higher education and the occupational arena.
