Banning phones on campus.  Why do some want to restrict phone use in school while others are for it?

From many parts of Europe and Canada to Asia, the use of phones in schools have been subject to bans or restrictions. 

Here in the US, the last several years have seen school policies becoming in favor of either not allowing school children to bring their phones to school or restricting its use throughout the school day. 

Phone use in US children and teens

Recent statistics show how mobile devices have become a basic part of life in the US for both adults and children. 

• 1 in 2 children in the US will have their own phone by 11 years of age. 
• When they reach their teen years, 9 in 10 will have a smartphone. 
• The top two reasons for owning a smartphone among children are passing the time and learning their lessons. 
• Teens in the US prefer using their phones to communicate. 
• 4 in 10 US teens belonging to lower income families use their phones to connect to the Internet. 
• Smartphone use among children in the US has been linked to a 40% increase in productivity. 
• Average screen time in the US among teens reaches 7 hours a day.  

Despite these apparent mix of advantages and disadvantages of phone use, there are remaining pushbacks from parents, some school staff and students themselves. 

This begs us to answer the question, “Do the pros of banning phones in school really outweigh its negative consequences?” 

Here are some arguments for both sides of the same coin. 

The PROS of phone use in schools 

• apps and games, children can find useful educational content that can supplement what they learn in school. 

• For example, apps that teach children languages, math and geography are beneficial to students. Accessing the Internet using their phones, they can also watch educational videos, or listen to useful podcasts. 

• These modes of learning are very familiar to young learners. In fact, the generations in school now, being Generation Z as the oldest, and Gen Alpha making up the majority of today’s school kids, are considered digital natives. 

They are with their gadgets almost 24/7 and if guided on the subject they learn through their phones, they are able to maximize the Internet’s teaching potential. 

• Safety is another concern. With the rise of mistrust among parents in government institutions and schools, many parents feel comfortable knowing that their children will be able to contact them in case of emergency. 

Considerations for phone use and issues that arise with allowing cellphones in the classroom

• School officials, policy makers and even parents think that phones in the classroom are major sources of distraction. Many are worried that when given a choice between browsing through the Internet and listening to the lesson, students may spend more time looking at their phones than paying attention in the lessons. 

Thus, for schools that still allow children to bring their phones, they are using apps that control or limit the student’s access to phone apps. 

• Is it the teacher’s role to create more engagement and to create more connection with students in class? Is it the lack of classroom management that makes students want to watch Youtube in class rather than listening to the teacher? If teachers are competing with phones to get a whole class’ attention, does the responsibility fall on the teacher? 

These are hard questions to consider, but some experts say that there is a need for integrating technology in literacy while teaching students to regulate their actions. 

What about you? Are you for banning phones in school or restricting phone use? Or do you support phone use but with certain limitations? 

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