Faceoff: Should cell phones be banned in schools?

The Messenger debates whether cellphones should be banned in the classroom.

Graphic by Manasa Premanand, Editor-in-Chief

Yes

Milly Miao, Staff Writer

Fulton County Schools (FCS) introduced a new policy prohibiting cell phone usage during class this year. The policy mandates students to put their phones up at the beginning of class and can only pick them up after class dismissal. Naturally, most students are unhappy and cannot see the positive reasons for this policy. 

Cell phones are one of the most prevalent tools used today, especially among the younger generation. Almost all teens say they cannot live without them. So, it is no wonder why many would hate to see their prized possession banned. Nevertheless, schools need to limit cell phone usage on school grounds for the success and health of students.

Schools ban cell phones in class to eliminate a major distraction and not because phones are smart devices, which many would think is why schools implemented phone restrictions. Students are often excessively addicted to their phones, creating discipline issues and affecting their grades. Just the presence of phones is enough to reduce attention levels. And, when opened, the phone completely pulls students' attention away from class into the diversions of social media and games. This then frustrates teachers, who have to constantly instruct students to put away their phones. However, schools can improve all of these problems by limiting cell phone use, just as the new FCS policy does. Other countries, such as France and China, have even enforced it on a government level due to concentration and disciplinary issues. 

The French government banned the use of phones in school back in 2018. After only a year of enforcement in France, studies have shown that limited phone time in schools correlates to better exam scores. China established a similar law in 2021, and the motives for this law in China were very similar to France's, which were to increase students' focus and attention. Likewise, FCS prohibited phones, intending to improve focus among students. With Northview being an academically rigorous school and all, it is pretty helpful to be attentive in class without a distractor right next to you. 

Additionally, phones play a role in bullying and impact students' developmental skills. Bullying is a significant problem in school environments, and social media adds to this fume by extending bullying online. While schools cannot prevent all bullying, they can do their best to prevent physical, mental, and cyberbullying in class. Plus, allowing phone use in class presents a different distraction that replaces in-person interaction with online communication when students are right next to each other. 

In opposition, some could argue that schools should not ban phones due to their need in emergencies, such as lockdowns and school shootings. However, phones can cause unwanted noise that dispels the purpose of silent lockdowns. In addition, the county’s primary concern this year is the safety of students. Aside from the phone policy, FCS implemented new policies that reflect this concern with new security measures, such as an increased identification system and the locking of all school doors to prevent outsiders.

Cell phones are causes of low grades, disturbances, and bullying and present a significant distraction in classroom environments. Schools only act with the best interest of students in mind, and this new phone policy is one of them. 

No

Casey Wong, Staff Writer

Technology has become an integral element of every classroom. Access to resources and learning tools has never been easier. When entering a K-12 classroom, students will likely be seen accessing textbooks and resources on a computer or tablet, and teachers will be seen utilizing the projector during a lesson. Technology is a fundamental part of our day-to-day lives, and to ignore this development is to ignore evolution. NPR reports that 53% of children possess a cell phone by the age of 11, with over 84% accessing the mobile world by adolescence. Given these numbers, it is inevitable that many children will bring cell phones to school. Although phones may be distracting, they are a great teaching tool when used appropriately. The world is dynamic, and, as a society, we are in endless need of adaptation. Welcoming technology and easy access to resources beyond the classroom is as close to the “real world” experience as possible. There are seldom any instances where you cannot Google a solution to a problem in the “real world.”

The notion that students will become too reliant on technology has been around since the first development of devices of convenience. This perpetuation of being lazed servants to our cell phones was said about the invention of the light bulb. At the time, lighting a candle was more valuable than flipping a switch, and now it seems foolish to subject ourselves to inconvenience. What is now being said about cell phones was once said about calculators—something almost every classroom owns a set of. Seeing development with a traditionalist mindset is not seeing development at all. I can only imagine the frustration of not having a cell phone when a lesson is entirely online and no one has a computer charger the day yours is dead. Convenience and accessibility are not a poison; children should not be antagonized for their participation. The opposition to cell phones often includes the subject of distraction, but distracted students existed long before phones and technology. With a developing technological culture around us, we cannot subject our classrooms to being handicapped over an issue that will and has existed with and without cell phones.

Another topic to consider is safety; cell phones are the easiest and quickest way to get in touch with one another.  On a basic level, parents would be at ease knowing how their children are doing throughout the day and what time they should be expected home. A simple “I’m OK” is enough to ease a worried parent. On a more extreme level, students must be able to communicate with each other, loved ones, or a trusted adult or staff member in an emergency. School drills are practiced once a month for a reason. Unfortunately, in a panic, a protocol is not the first thing that comes to mind, and having phones on hand could prevent any miscommunication.

By banning phones, we are fostering an environment that does not react positively to change and keeps students from learning through a modern lens. Through the use of cell phones suitably, students are taught personal responsibility, learn to utilize all the resources available to feed their curiosity and desire for learning, and have access to an extra layer of protection. To deny students of these experiences is to rob this generation and future generations of the amenities of today. Ultimately, mobile phones stimulate learning by making it more accessible, enjoyable, and convenient.