Should Cell Phones Be Banned in Schools?

There’s no doubt that more and more kids are getting cell phones. According to a study by Common Sense Media, nearly nine in 10 teens aged 13-18 own a smartphone; and 23% of kids own a smartphone by age 8. While cell phones provide convenience, they can be a huge distraction to kids, which leaves many folks wondering: should cell phones be allowed in school? There’s a case to be made both for why phones should be allowed in school — and why they shouldn’t. Here are the pros and cons, according to parents and experts.

1. Increased sense of safety. Many parents just feel safer knowing their child can reach them if they’re sick, if they have to stay after school, or if there’s an emergency.

2. Learning benefits. There’s no denying there are tons of learning apps on the market today. Some teachers also utilize apps like Socrative, where they can engage students, give quizzes, ask for student feedback and more; in turn, giving cell phones a role in teaching and learning.

3. Potential value. The use of cell phones in school has the potential to save schools and/or families money. A smartphone can not only replace paper and pen but sometimes a textbook and a computer printer (and pricey ink) since it can download and store information and documents. Plus, it may even be a good substitute for some calculators or tablets.

4. Potential for distraction. “Our kids, the digital natives, are already more distracted than ever before, and because the brain was not meant to multitask, this makes it even more important that the phones stay at home or at the very least in the locker,” says Tere Linzey, an educational psychologist and founder of BrainMatterZ. “Retention depends on the ability to ‘attend’ to the subject at hand.”

5. Social skills. Linzey also points out that cell phones can take away from kids’ in-person socializing. “Employers and teachers mention to me all the time about the lack of social skills in [many] young people today,” she says. “The simple things like saying hello, introductions, being polite, manners and people skills are lacking today. In business they call it ‘soft skills,’ but students don’t have them if they are constantly behind a screen. What you practice is what your brain hardwires! Phones allow students to stay distracted without having human contact or conversations. If they don’t practice conversations, communication skills and social etiquette, then they do not acquire them — hence no ‘soft skills.’”

6. Mental health risks. More time in front of a screen could be bad for kids’ mental health — which number indicate. One study found that teens who used screens seven or more hours per day were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with depression than teens who only used them for an hour per day. School hours could provide a large chunk of the day that they get a break from screens, which might have a positive impact on mental health.

7. Burden on teachers. Enforcing cell phone rules adds one more task to a teacher’s long to-do list. If kids are allowed phones in their classrooms, they may be tempted to use them to text their friends or cheat by looking up answers on the internet, creating a stressful situation.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services