banning of cellphones in school argumentative essay

Banning Cell Phones in Schools Essay Example

Do schools care that cell phones are creating an unhealthy environment for students? In almost every free period, students sit on their cell phones with their heads down. Why would schools want their students to waste free time when they can spend that time working on school work or interacting with others? Students are also missing out on so much information just from being on their cell phone during a class. Cell phones cause distractions, fewer interactions, and failure. Schools should care about their students by banning cell phones. 

The main reason why students are becoming more distracted during class is because of their cell phones. When students sit on their cell phones during a class, it makes it very difficult for them to stay focused. Since the use of cell phones are increasing, bullying over social media is also starting to increase. Because of this, students face emotional hits if they see that they are left out of a group chat or see photos of which they compare themselves to. If this happens to a student during the schoolday, it can make it very difficult for them to stay engaged during class or when they are doing school work (“Smartphones”). 

Along with students being distracted, cell phones have caused fewer interactions between students. U.S. government teacher, Joe Clemet, and teacher, Matt Miles, have said that free periods have deteriorated from lively talk among students and teachers to silent screen reading. Clement thought that he could bring back the lively talk of students during free period classes by restricting cell phones. Students responded by not showing up. Instead, students went to a different free period class where cell phones were not restricted (Mathews). Also, it has been found that cell phone use increases the rate of depression. Face-to-face interactions with friends helps decreases the rate of depression (“Smartphones”). Creating a school environment without cell phones will help give students the opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with other students. Creating a school environment without cell phones will also help create a healthy environment for students. 

Furthermore, cell phone in school does not boost achievement. Students who interact with their cell phones during class tend to perform poorly on tests (usually a full letter grade or more). 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. The participants who didn’t have their cell phones performed much better than the participants who had their cell phones (“Smartphones”).

Finally, some schools believe that allowing students to use their cell phones during the school day isn’t a bad thing. 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 more easier (Kennedy). Even though cell phones are making the learning system much more easier, there will be a higher chance that students will cheat, cell phones will still cause distractions, and there will still be fewer interactions between students.Working cell phones into the daily curriculum won’t solve these problems.

In conclusion, cell phones create an unhealthy school environment for students. They cause distractions, failure, and fewer interactions. It has been proven that students perform poorly in school if cell phones are allowed. It has also been proven that decreasing cell phone use in school will help increase interactions between students. Schools should want their students to have a healthy environment. Cell phones should be banned in schools.

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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 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.

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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

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There are 16 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.

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.

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.

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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.”

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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

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Banning Cell Phones in Schools: Balancing Benefits and Concerns

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Why a ban on cellphones in schools might be more of a distraction than the problem it’s trying to fix

Lecturer, School of Education, Auckland University of Technology

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The National Party’s promised ban on cellphones in schools has been touted by leader Christopher Luxon as a “common sense” and “practical” way to address New Zealand’s poor academic achievement.

And his claim that “phones are a massive disturbance and distraction” seems credible on the face of it. A recent UNESCO report found the intensive use of devices had negative impacts on student performance and increased disruption in the classroom.

App notifications throughout the day were found to be distracting students from their learning, affecting focus, recall and comprehension.

But international research suggests a blanket ban would make only a small difference to grades. A focus on phones risks shifting attention from other reasons students may be underachieving.

Read more: Do smartphones belong in classrooms? Four scholars weigh in

Misunderstanding the UNESCO report

Current interpretations of the UNESCO report, including how it is being used in the political argument, seem to focus on phones as the main source of distraction for students.

But these interpretations fail to acknowledge the broader context of the report’s findings. The report looks at smartphones as part of a wider suite of information communications technology (ICT) used during the school day, including personal laptops and tablets. These devices can also lead to distraction and lower student engagement.

The UNESCO report actually cautions against a complete device ban :

Students need to learn the risks and opportunities that come with technology, develop critical skills, and understand to live with and without technology. Shielding students from new and innovative technology can put them at a disadvantage. It is important to look at these issues with an eye on the future and be ready to adjust and adapt as the world changes.

Learning from overseas bans

Almost one in four countries have laws and policies banning smartphones in schools, most commonly in Central and South Asia.

Several Australian states have introduced bans over the past few years, with anecdotal evidence suggesting higher student engagement . Other countries, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom , are following suit.

A British study found banning phones is an effective low-cost policy to improve student performance . However, Swedish research aiming to replicate the British findings suggests the impact of a mobile phone ban on student achievement is negligible.

According to the Swedish research, “mobile phone bans have no impact on student performance, and we can reject even very small effects of banning mobile phones in the Swedish setting”.

The UNESCO report itself suggests a ban would be little more than a blunt approach to what is a much more complex problem.

Beyond the politics

While the evidence supporting a ban continues to be evaluated, the approach will appeal to many New Zealand parents and teachers who have concerns about children’s phone use and the impact of phones in the classroom and at home. These concerns make a ban an easy political win for National.

But schools, which operate as self-governing institutions through a board of trustees, currently implement their own policies on phone use. A blanket ban will undermine their ability to choose what is best for their community.

Read more: How smart is it to allow students to use mobile phones at school?

Decisions about a phone policy would benefit from community consultation supported by sound evidence. These consultations should involve all those with a stake in students’ learning, including the students themselves – 90% of whom have a cellphone by their first year of high school.

And we should be putting faith in our students. In my study on teenage girls and social media , students reported varying degrees of self-regulation and high self-awareness of the impact of social media on their wellbeing. They were able to enact their own boundaries to mitigate the negative effects of new technologies.

Perhaps what is needed here is an educational approach, rather than a ban. We could give young people the resources to develop the necessary critical thinking strategies and self-awareness to engage reflectively with these new technologies.

Addressing what really hurts student achievement

What remain strikingly absent from the discussion are the various other pressures causing lower student achievement, such as the ongoing impact of the pandemic on student learning .

We need to be looking at the effects of truancy and what support schools are receiving to turn this around. We also need to address what the cost-of-living crisis is doing to families and their ability to meet the basic needs of their children.

There is clearly a crisis in the education sector and these other pressures on young people’s engagement need be taken seriously. Instead of a blanket ban on cellphones in the classroom, efforts should be put towards getting children to school and keeping them there.

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What happens when a school bans smartphones? A complete transformation

Teachers say mobile phones make their lives a living hell – so one Massachusetts school barred them

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W hen the weather is nice, the Buxton boarding school moves lunch outside. Students, faculty and guests grab their food from the kitchen, and eat together under a white tent that overlooks western Massachusetts’ Berkshire mountains.

As the close of the school year neared last June, talk turned to final assignments (the English class was finishing Moby-Dick) and end-of-year fun (there was a trip planned to a local lake). It was, in most ways, a typical teenage afternoon – except that no one was on their phones.

Buxton was wrapping up the first year of a simple yet novel experiment: banning cellphones on campus. Or, rather, smartphones.

Instead, the school gave everyone on campus – including staff – a Light Phone , that is, a “dumb” phone with limited functionality. The devices can make calls, send texts (slowly) and can’t load modern applications; instead coming with deliberately cumbersome versions of music and mapping apps. They are about the size of a deck of cards, with black and white screens.

As one student put it: “It’s like the demon baby of an iPad and a Kindle.”

Most everyone agrees, however, that the school is better off without these hell devices. (And yes, that includes students.) There are fewer interruptions during class, more meaningful interactions around campus, and less time spent on screens.

“It’s a problem we’ve found a pretty good way to address,” Scott Hunter, who teaches English and music, said of smartphones. Bea Sas, a senior at Buxton, added: “I think people are a lot more social.”

F or many teachers, their students’ phone use is exasperating. “It’s every class, every period,” said Mark McLaughlin, a math teacher at Neah-Kah-Nie high school in Oregon. “The worst part of my job is being the cellphone police.”

Educators across the country report waging a near-constant battle against phones. A survey of a school district in Virginia found that about a third of teachers were telling students to put away their cellphones five to 10 times a class, and 14.7% did so more than 20 times a class.

When a middle school in Canada surveyed staff, 75% of respondents thought that cellphones were negatively affecting their students’ physical and mental health. Nearly two-thirds believed the devices were adversely affecting academic performances as well.

“It’s a big issue,” said Arnold Glass, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University who has researched the impact of cellphones on student performance . “They lose anywhere between a half and whole letter grade if they are allowed to consult their phones in class.”

Ian Trombulak, a guidance counselor at Lamoille Union high school in northern Vermont, is also facing a flood of cellphones at his school. “I have kids who during the day get a Snapchat or text and it ruins their entire day,” he said. Another issue he’s seeing is that students use cellphones to coordinate mass trips to the bathroom so they can hang out during class. “It feels like it distracts from the learning that happens on the academic level.”

When I mentioned the Buxton experiment to Trombulak, he was intrigued. One thing it could address, he noted, was the argument from students that they need phones to communicate with their parents. And, he said, teenagers often adapt to new parameters relatively quickly. He remembers a field trip with his students where, at the last minute, everyone learned that cellphones wouldn’t be allowed. At first, the news was apocalyptic.

“They were so upset. They didn’t know how to handle themselves. I was really nervous,” said Trombulak, reliving the drama. But part way through the trip, the kids largely forgot about their phones and, at one point, they self-policed a girl who tried to sneak a phone on to the ropes course.

“At the end of the first day, sitting around the campfire, they said, ‘We didn’t think about our phones all day,’” said Trombulak. “That was really cool.”

T o an extent, Buxton saw a similar progression through the stages of panic, grief and ultimately some level of acceptance. “When it was announced I practically had a breakdown,” said then senior Max Weeks. And while he’s still not a fan of what he says was a “unilateral” decision to switch to the Light Phone, he said, overall, the experience “hasn’t been as bad as I expected”.

It’s an open secret that students still sneak phones into their rooms on campus, with some testing the limits more than others. “People get pretty ballsy,” said Yamailla Marks, also a Buxton senior, and get caught. Generally, though, it’s hard to spot a smartphone on campus.

That includes staff. The head of the school, Peter Beck, says he gave up his iPhone for a Light Phone and installed an old GPS system in his car for when he needs to go out into the world. He’s thrilled with how the first year has gone. (Beck left the school at the end of the summer).

It’s difficult to tell how the new phone policy is affecting academic performance because Buxton uses a narrative evaluation system. But culturally, Beck says, the move has been transformative, often in small but cumulatively meaningful ways.

“People are engaging in the lounges. They are lingering after class to chat,” said Beck, who estimates that he’s now having more conversations than ever at the school. “All these face-to-face interactions, the frequency has gone through the roof.”

Another effect has been a surge of students signing up for the school’s photography class, which uses film cameras. Enrollment nearly tripled. While a popular new teacher may have been a factor, Light Phones also don’t have cameras.

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“It’s much more of a process to get photos now than with the phone,” said Marks, but she’s fallen “in love” with photography. Still, when she goes home for breaks it’s back to her smartphone. Then she has to give it up again when she comes back to school. “It’s really funny how you adjust very quickly. Like subconsciously.”

Buxton isn’t alone in trying to curb the use of smartphones in schools. As of 2020, the National Center for Education Statistics reported more than three-quarters of schools in the US had moved to restrict the non-academic use of the devices. France banned smartphone use in schools in 2018. But whether the private schools’ Light Phone approach could – or should – be applied to public schools wrestling with how to handle cellphones is up for debate.

A s a parent, Mark’s mother, Nina Marks, has been thrilled by the Buxton experiment. The school picked, and largely won, a fight that she hadn’t been able to with her daughter. But as a teacher, she’s hesitant.

“Children and adolescents have supercomputers in their pockets … It’s a constant battle to deal with,” she said, agreeing with other educators. But, she adds, having to police cellphones has created friction with her students in the past and can single out students in ways that can be problematic. She likes her current school’s policy, which is to let each teacher decide how to handle phones in their classrooms.

Marks isn’t alone in being skeptical of outright bans. A staff survey at a school district in Illinois found that 70% of the 295 respondents thought students should be allowed to have their phones at school. “We aren’t teaching them accountability and responsibility by storing it for the day,” wrote one anonymous commenter.

Trombulak also sees phones as a potential teaching moment for students. “They’re struggling with the phone, but they didn’t invent the phone. They didn’t buy the phone,” he said. “If school is a place you’re supposed to learn how to do things, then safe technology use needs to become more part of the curriculum.”

Providing dumb phones could be part of the way forward, Nina Marks admits, but she wonders if funds at already strapped public schools could be put to better use. “If you think of people as addicts, you have to replace that with something else,” she said. “If there was extra money to go around, rather than buying every kid another device, I would give every kid a journal and some really nice paint markers.”

Nonetheless, Light Phone has seen interest from other private schools and school groups, intrigued by the Buxton model, as well as organizations such as churches.

The company bills itself as an antidote to smartphone overuse – a non-alcoholic beer of phones. “We’re actually pretty into tech – we built a phone. We’re just not into extractive tech that manipulates your emotional state,” said Joe Hollier, one of the founders. “So many people got a smartphone and didn’t intend to wake up and check their email before they brush their teeth. But that’s what started happening.”

Light Phone is also working on potential tweaks to the design. While Hollier says that Light Phones are intentionally small and slow, so that people use them less, students report that they also break easily and the batteries die quickly, which wasn’t in the plan. They are also debating whether to add the option for a camera, or other features. But, Hollier doesn’t want the broader message to disappear in the details.

“It’s about trying to find a balance that’s appropriate for you, whether that’s a Light Phone, a simplified iPhone or whatever it is,” he advised. “[The goal] is to hopefully remind people that we have the agency to decide how we use these things.”

Hollier was among the diners as lunch wound down at Buxton. When the chatter waned, staff and students started making daily announcements. Seniors should meet in the library to go over their graduation speeches. A reminder that prom was just a few days away, followed by a reprimand for whoever stole sparklers from the chemistry lab and a note that the biology class was changing locations.

Then, over the speakers, Can I Call You Rose? by Thee Sacred Souls started to croon. And, on a walkway replete with flowers, a proposal to prom unfurled – they said yes. “The best promposal ever,” cheered one member of the crowd. Another added: “That was soooo good.”

No one caught the moment on camera.

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More on this story

Scroll on: why your screen-time habits aren’t as bad as you think they are

Banning phones in schools is just another ploy to distract us

Is a smartphone and social media ban the best way to protect young people from internet dangers?

As a teacher, I know the damage phones do to kids. But this new ban won’t make a shred of difference

‘Not letting me on Snapchat was the best thing my mum ever did for me’: how to talk to your kids about social media

‘It went nuts’: Thousands join UK parents calling for smartphone-free childhood

Fighting the smartphone ‘invasion’: the French village that voted to ban scrolling in public

Are smartphones bad for us? Five world experts answer

‘They thought they were doing good but it made people worse’: why mental health apps are under scrutiny

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Argumentative Essay: Cell Phones Should Not Be Allowed in School

The great debate on schools continues. Parents, Teachers, students and many more people have been wondering, should cellphones be allowed in school.cell phones should not be allowed in school.

To begin with, Students are being distracted with their cell phones being in their pockets. They are wasting their time talking to friends and getting notifications while in schoolAccording to “Time to Ban Cell Phones” Source 2 paragraph 3 it says,”As a teacher, I have learned to turn my cell phone off during the day so I can focus on teaching my students. When I turn my cell phone back on at the end of the day, I have numerous  notifications, text messages, and missed phone calls.” A teacher can also be distracted by cell phones so that could happen to a student as well. If they were to get that many notifications they would’ve been not paying attention to class and be on their cell phones responding back.The text also states, “there are reasons why students may need a cell phone but there are many more reasons they shouldn't be allowed”.Students may need a phone but not on them only in there backpacks just in case of a emergency.

Additionally, there are some pros to why cell phones should be allowed but there are more cons. Some important pros are calling parents, education apps and more that help with school. For cons there are students that are cyber bullying, distraction, etc. According to “Time To Ban Cell Phones” Source 2 paragraph 7. It says,“ Cell Phones can be very addictive too.” Kids are being very addicted to cell phones. They are losing social interaction. Some cannot go days without a cell phone.The author goes on to say, “it can also cause problems.” There are many problems with having a phone during school which is also addicting.

Furthermore,  very young children are getting out of hand with them. They are just on their phone all day. According to “Time To Ban Cell Phones”. Source 2 paragraph 8 it states.”if you look around stores and restaurants, many kids are texting and not interacting with their families”. Cell phones are just taking children's social life at this point. They are not interacting with anyone, such as talking when they are walking around. The text also states,”many parents are concerned about this problem.”Parents are wondering why kids are just on their phone all day not talking to them. Thats why parents sometimes check their phone to see if they are doing anything bad or not. 

To sum it all up, phones should not be allowed in school. There are many cons to say. Paragraph 17 in source 2 it states “they say students need face to face contact to develop social skills, expand friendships.

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Cell Phones in School: Should Be Banned, Restricted or Allowed?

Why cell phones in school should be banned.

The use of mobile phones in schools has attracted the attention of many individuals, state organizations, learning institutions, the media and the society at large. Different views have been raised on the positive impacts and the negative repercussion that come as a result of the use of mobile phones in schools. Although some positive aspects can be drawn from the use of mobile phones in schools, the negative impacts are saddening and the need to be looked at with great caution. Poor school performance of children and cheating in exams can be attributed to the use of mobile phones in schools.

School children with mobile phones tend to have a short span of attention in class due to various activities, as surfing the internet, playing games and texting. These children are also likely to cheat in exams by searching for answers through the internet or texting their colleagues for answers. Likewise, cases of mobile phone theft increase due to the urge of getting better phones to those who already have and the desire of having a phone to the poor children who cannot afford it. These should thus give an alarm to the school board to ban the use of mobile phones.

One of the major reasons why the use of mobile phones by school children should be banned is because it promotes cheating during exams. The mobile phones may provide good avenues for the children to cheat in exams and thus earn undeserved credits. Children use the taken pictures of class notes, videos, text messaging as well as wireless earbuds to gain access to materials that assist them during the exams. According to the National School Resource Officer Survey in 2004 by NASRO, it was estimated that more than 41 percent had reported handling cases of students using mobile phones improperly. The officers reported that among the improper ways school children had used mobile phones included cheating in exams, particularly through text messaging and the internet.

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Another reason why the school board should ban the use of mobile phones is due to the short span of attention by the children. Student’s concentration in class is distracted on various occasions in the presence of mobile phones. In certain instances, the disturbance can be carried on to the rest of the children in class if the phone rings out loud. This is more likely to happen and cause a lot of distraction, hampering the learning process if these phones are not put in silent mode. Moreover, if a phone is put in silent mode or on vibration, it distracts the owner leading to a short attention span in class. If a call or message, for instance, comes in, the student loses concentration and diverts their attention towards reading the message or answering the call. These lower the student’s understanding of things taught in class and in turn results in poor performance.

It is essential for the school board to note that the use of mobile phones by children promotes theft. The changing technology results in the production of more attractive and expensive mobile phones that not every child can afford. Theft complaints are thus not going to stop anytime soon if the use of mobile phones in schools will not be banned. Despite the fact that some of the children already own mobile phones, they will be tempted to steal the more sophisticated ones from their friends. The poor children who cannot afford a cell phone are no exemption and they are most likely to steal any type of phone for them to own one. It is best if schools ban their use to prevent such cases of theft.

It is thus justifiable to conclude that the school board has a big part to play in making the learning environment suitable for all the children. The ban on the use of mobile phones will be very beneficial to all and would lead to better performance. The children’s concentration span in class would improve, cheating in exams would be minimized and cases of mobile phone theft in schools would be forgotten. If the school board embraces the idea of making it illegal to use mobile phones, the society will benefit and the school children will all have a favorable environment to learn.

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Why Cell Phones in School Should Be Restricted?

People create different devices and machines due to the constant growth of human needs and demands. It is connected with the appropriate improvement in the quality of life. In fact, the creation of such a modern device as a cell phone refers to great wonders of the twenty-first century, even if its use at school is under great concern. Thus, the development of the cell phone and its regular use can improve the process of studying at school, but it can also destruct the way students thinking and learning.

The cell phone makes a revolution in education. It widens children’s outlook and suggests new ways and approaches for learning more information in different subjects through video use. It becomes evident that “allowing students to use cell phones in the classroom for specific, academic purposes has the power to increase student engagement and allow teachers to more effectively assess learning on a daily basis” (Giambalvo).

It means that the particular use of this device contributes to the development of creativity and interactive experience. Students can get free access to a large number of sources which can be essential in studying. In this case, juniors are motivated to set their goals and reach them observing different videos based on the learning topics. Additionally, this issue includes social and emotional aspects that show how an individual can assess himself/herself to reveal the appropriate persistence and diligence. Thus, modern teachers consider cell phones as a useful tool for learning, which makes studying easier and more interesting.

The cell phones provide new effective ways of learning for those who try to overcome the difficulties with the second language. In this case, it’s primary purpose is to improve the limits of students’ vocabulary. With the help of mobile dictionaries, students can memorize many new words including their translation and spelling. They also develop their vocabulary while writing a test after reading the assignment, which seems to be rather difficult (Lu 515). The point is that students do not have any limitation to learn more words every time they look up a new one and its various meanings. It is known that lexical information improves the intellect, and students’ speech becomes better. Therefore, the effectiveness of cell phone use is obvious, and it is necessary to further develop this approach.

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On the other hand, cell phones cause cheating and unceasing ringing that destroys classroom policies at school. Many teachers claim that “the technology is considered a serious source of distraction in the classroom” because it has a negative impact on academic performance (Campbell 280). In such a way, plagiarism becomes a common problem that exists among students. After finishing high schools, they are not ready to develop and create their own ideas. Students have boundless access to the Internet, thus they simply copy and paste the suggested information. It brings harm to the students’ studying as they do not make any considerable effort to develop their own intellectual skills and abilities in the process of learning. Additionally, teachers often complain that they cannot concentrate on the representation of new material due to the ringing in the class.

Moreover, parents notice that their children stop paying much attention to the school assignments but talk over the phone all the time. Perhaps, it is a precise result of parents’ numerous requests to allow their children to use mobile phones at school as they are against the past ban (Taylor). Thus, the cell phone becomes children’s obsession as they gradually begin to depend on this advanced technology.

In conclusion, the use of the cell phone improves the quality of studying as teachers can apply various teaching videos. Students can also learn the second foreign language via the cell phone by consulting the dictionary and memorizing new words as well as establishing communication and interacting with each other. However, the use of cell phones has several disadvantages while studying: the main one is cheating. This leads to reducing students’ own knowledge because they are out of practice. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict the use of cell phones at school in order to avoid plagiarism which is not good for students studying.

Why Cell Phones in School Should Be Allowed?

In terms of using cell phones in school, various improvements have been established at different schools, which benefited students since their privacy has been improved as well as an effective and essential means of communication was implemented. Schools are trying out various policies that allow having cell phones at schools with some permitting students to use their phones only during breaks or at lunchtime. Other schools are encouraging students to have cell phones at school in order to enhance the educational process, the main purpose of which is to improve understanding in the classroom.

This is helpful in various ways since it provides suitable platforms for enhancing educational understanding. Other policies that were implemented allow students to carry cell phones to school and use them after classes and at breaks. The phones should be kept in lockers or backpacks during classes. This is unlike the policy of some schools that allow phones and encourage students to carry them to school and use them in class for their educational advantage.

Cell phones use in high school during break times should, therefore, be allowed because of personal rights, privacy issues, and effective and essential communication. The use of cell phones during breaks prevents students from losing attention in class and allows them to maintain necessary communications with their parents as well as provides them with the advantages of e-learning tools. Allowing students to use cell phones at school gives students the right to personal life and privacy. In addition, cell phones enhance research and improve students’ understanding since they have more access to information that is available on the Internet.

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Ban cellphones in Arizona schools? Lawmakers thought it would be that easy

Letter to the editor: the arizona legislature thinks it can solve student distractions by banning cellphones. this retired teacher isn't so sure..

I am a retired Arizona public school teacher. By the end of my career, almost every middle school and high school student had a cellphone.

I watched as teachers and administrators struggled with how to handle the distraction, while parents wanted their sons and daughters to have them to keep in touch.

Now, the Arizona Legislature seems to believe they have solved the distraction. All that is needed is to ban cellphones .

Why are teens so hopeless? Blame social media

Not so fast. The result of a state ban in place of district policies is an administrative nightmare.

How will cellphones be collected from students? Will there be pat downs prior to entering school? When students smuggle the cellphones into class, will the cellphones be confiscated? Will school security be called?

Or as a state issue, will it be criminal so that police can be called to arrest the student and collect the contraband? Will the collected phones go up for state auction?

Lucky private schools: They get state money and get to make their own decisions about cellphones. They can remove a student for any reason without due process.

Maybe local boards should be left to deal with the issue with parental involvement.

Tim Rockey, Glendale

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