essay on should cellphones be allowed in school

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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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Why Cell Phones Should Be Allowed in Schools — 11 Reasons Based on 16 Research Studies

However, I think that cell phones can play a very beneficial role in a classroom, especially when used effectively. I’ve stretched the ‘rules’ in the past and let my students pull out their phones for various classroom lessons and activities, and I’m definitely glad I did!

If we don’t let kids use cell phones in the classroom, how will they ever learn to use them responsibly in a workplace? Every adult I know uses their phone all day every day. Let’s prepare kids for the real world. — Matthew B. Courtney, Ed.D. (@mbcourtneyedd) August 7, 2022

You can watch this video below. It contains a brief retelling of the article.

Cell Phones in School — Teachers’ Thoughts

Many teachers and parents are on the fence about whether to let students have cell phones in school . More and more teachers are beginning to see the potential learning benefits mobile phones can offer to their students and are advocating for gadget use in the classroom. In this video, Sam from New EdTech Classroom Why we should allow students to use cell phones in schools.

Below are what some teachers have shared about using mobile phones in the classroom:

”We need to embrace these changes and instead of trying to separate that reality from an outdated vision of a classroom, we need to find a way to optimize the educational experience for the connected kids of the future. We can’t disconnect them from the world between the hours of 8am – 3pm everyday. Don’t be scared. You have to leave your comfort zone and take a risk. The same thing you ask your students to do. Take a risk and see what the future may look like and then change your teaching to ensure that the technology is used as a tool and not just a distraction.” —Tim Floyd, Education Awesomeness

“I’ve also seen the value that cell phones can bring to education. Students who might not have access to computers at home can type and submit essays on their phones. Students can quickly look up some information and verify its validity. Furthermore, students can also use their cell phones to collaborate with their peers.” —Christina, The Darling English Teacher

“When students have access to technology and social media, they have access to empowerment and leadership online. As educators, we need to empower our students to use technology for good. When students are given the chance to use their cellphones in class as a learning tool, we can teach them how to positively influence and impact other people online.” —Amanda, EDTech Endeavors

“When students have access to technology and social media, they have access to empowerment and leadership online. As educators, we need to empower our students to use technology for good. When students are given the chance to use their cellphones in class as a learning tool, we can teach them how to positively influence and impact other people online.” — A.J. Juliani , the Director of Technology & Innovation for Centennial School District

Why Should Phones be Allowed in School — 11 Reasons

There is a lot of debate about whether phones should be allowed in schools. While there are some cons to letting your students use cell phones in class, I feel that the benefits of using gadgets can outweigh these cons. As long as you have solid classroom management and set clear expectations for students using their mobile phones, I think you’ll find that there are many benefits  to letting your students use them.

1. Providing an Additional Tool for Learning

Phones are already banned. The parents are worried about these bans because of the very high chance there is a school shooting and their child is unable to call for help. https://t.co/TxpJfrUgJn — Anosognosiogenesis (@pookleblinky) June 6, 2023

While detractors may argue against the distractions phones might pose academically, the security and peace of mind they offer, especially in dire situations, make a compelling case for their presence in the school environment.

3. Improved Communication

Interestingly, a study from the School of Business highlighted another crucial dimension to this trend. Beyond the teacher-student dynamic, students are proactively forming educational bonds with their peers through their phones. They often initiate and manage class-based groups on various social platforms, allowing for an organized exchange of study materials and collaborative learning, devoid of any official oversight. Such initiatives underscore the instrumental role cell phones play in modern education, fostering a holistic and communal approach to learning.

4. Organization

5. can save schools money.

In conclusion, embracing the capabilities of cell phones in the academic realm presents a win-win scenario. It offers students the convenience and immediacy of digital access while allowing educational institutions to optimize resources, reduce costs, and promote sustainability.

6. Good for the Environment

7. prepares students for the future, 8. can create digitally responsible citizens, 9. can help students when studying.

“In my classes, I let students take pictures of the digital whiteboard, too. If an assignment description or important PowerPoint slide has been up long enough and I am ready to move on, before doing so, I invite kids to snap a picture. This allows them to refer back to the slide at home if necessary.” — Chad Donohue , National Education Association

10. Accessibility and Personalized Learning

11. boosts creativity and innovation, 7 ideas how cell phones can be used effectively in the classroom, 1. scanning qr codes, 2. using educational apps, 3. collaborating on assignment, 4. completing surveys and quizzes, 5. providing feedback to others, 6. augmented reality experiences, 7. recording and editing multimedia projects, digital etiquette for students in the classroom.

Put your phone down when someone is talking to you and make eye contact with the speaker. Don’t text while you are walking. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t get distracted from someone or something important. Silence your phone when you are in class. Remove your headphones if someone is trying to talk to you. Don’t post on social media during the school day. Be a good digital citizen and avoid getting into any digital drama. Know the cell phone policy for each of your teachers, and respect it when in their classroom. Don’t make your teacher, classmates, friends, or family secondary to your phone.

Useful Resources

Final thoughts.

My principal seems to have an old-school thought process about cell phones in school and has completely banned them from being out in the classroom. I’d like to let my students use them for instructional purposes. Any tips on how to change her thinking?

That is tough. I’d start by finding some other teachers in your building that share your opinion and come up with a plan to present to your principal together. Bringing data, like what I shared in the article, about how cell phones can benefit students in class could help you make your point.

I love the artice and am using it for an assingment if you see it your name or website will be on it.

Thanks for the article it is truly an elaborate article, thanks for sharing it.

yes, this is fab

my teacher does not allow phones

my whole state banned phones in class TvT

I feel like you should be able to use your phone at passing periods and breaks and also lunch.

this is a common question people ask me I 57 year old male once allowed my kids to have phones in class but one pranked called the police so I say no

This is a nice source for my citation C: Thank you.

I am writing a speech to present to my class to persuade the teachers to allow more phone usage in class, thank you for your point of view and the information.

You’re welcome!

thanks so much! this will help a lot with a project I’m doing

I am making a debate speech this is really helpful thank you!

I was not born with this new technology, cell phone, I had to learn it. Now, I am a teacher and honestly, it is great as a tool for students to use but it’s also a deterrent. Like my wife says, “You give a mouse a cookie and they will ask you for a glass of milk”. Students seem to confuse rights with privilege. My students honestly believe that they have the right to use a phone whenever they want, this includes during a class, versus asking permission. Unfortunately, others do not use it appropriately. I have no problems with the use of cell phones, as long as it is for academic achievement, but not as a school alternative (ignore teacher and ignore daily task).

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! We completely agree about the inappropriate use of phones.

thank you! so much i don’t know what i would do without this information!

Thank you for this essay

The essay has good information but I want more. You are telling me about the technology benefits but that’s what the Chromebooks are for. So if you could give me a stronger argument I would definitely agree.

Thanks for letting us know. We will take your wishes into consideration

Students can not handle these devices!!!!

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I still believe there are many ways to get students’ attention in the classroom rather than on the phone.

I always enjoy the creative ways technology can be used in schools. The mix of video talks, blog ideas and teacher input this post are great ways to share ideas. Thanks for the modern takes on how to use phones in the classroom, it is refreshing!

My pleasure!

I NEED THIS FOR MY ESSAY. THANK YOU!

I believe that cell phones in schools should be friends not enemys

thank you so much

We need our phones for SAFETY ?

This was very cool and so many good reasons why we should be able to use our phones in class!

This was very helpful imformation

I appreciate this article it is so supportive and believes in this article thanks ✌

four big guys is crazy lol four big guys and they grab on my thighs

i agree they should allow phones in school but just when were are really stuck or bored. so that is why i think that.

Hey! Thank you! I needed this for my ELA class argumentative writing prompt, this information was very useful. Since my school has a no phone-in-class rule, I can’t even have it with me in my bag! The only time I have on it during weekdays is at home and on the bus. But anyways this information was essential for my project. Thank you! 😀

You’re welcome!?

This is so helpful for argumentative essays! Thank you!

Thay can be good use for kids that walk home from school or to school or both.

In many school districts, the students borrow laptops, so they don’t need cell phones. Teachers may use software to restrict the laptops to their selected educational websites. Cell phones have disrupted learning, so they must be banned or jammed in the classroom. However, when students aren’t distracted by cell phones, they will gradually become worse at running around, yelling, and fighting, like they did before their cell phone addictions. We need consistent discipline. Disruptive students should learn with fun programs on a computer in separate rooms, instead of infecting other students with bad attitudes. After a year of learning on a computer, they can try the classroom again. We also need online video in the classrooms, so everyone, especially parents, can see the discipline problems in schools. When white schools have strict discipline and cell phone bans, but minority schools don’t, which students will get the high-paying better jobs? This is racism.

I agree with this as a student! But unfurtently my school is very old school so they banned cellphones.

Thank you for this helped me with a essay im doing for school. 🙂

i agree so much?

thank you for the info cause i have been having trouble finding an article like that and i found one so thank you!?

I forgot to put that i’m having a debate about using cell phones in class.

Im a current high school student and honestly what I’ve seen is the exact opposite of this. first period English is just a majority of people being on their phones. Unless a teacher is very strict about phones usually nothing is done about it. Honestly my parents disallowing me to bring my phone to school is what changed my grades for the better for the rest of the school year up until now. Also, some students might argue for these points but it’s usually only used as a scapegoat to make the excuse of “Oh but this article says it’s good to use phones!” Still, I’ve seen phones do so much more negatives than positives as well as the points listed here barely ever being utilized.

Yes i think they should allow it for many reasons

Coming in from Parker Middle School so I am doing a essay on why we should be able to have phones in schools and even class rooms and I was wondering if you could have your word to support having cell phones in school.

phones are what brought you into this world be thankful

I love the way you used cell phones in the classroom. Me personally-I use mine for extracurriculars.

As a High School teacher, I pretty much dislike the use of cellphones. If used for emergency, yes that’s a legitimate argument and in such case, cell phones need to be accessible to students in case of an emergency. However that would be the only reason cellphones should be allowed in classrooms. I studied high school without a cellphone and I was able to be engaged, organized and learned by using other technologies. This article doesn’t mention the pros and cons of allowing cellphones in classrooms and does not consider if the benefits weigh more than the disadvantages.

Thank you this website is amazing hope I get an A+ for my argumentative essay. Wish Me Luck!

Thanks I will use this for my topic

As a teacher at my school, I can say the cell phones are 99% more a distraction than ever as a learning tool. All the kids on the phones during class is to play video games. and look at non educational sites so that’s why cell phones are banned in my classrooms. I would say if the kids understood accountability and are responsible, then it’s a different discussion.

i can use this for my project . Almost all my classmates try to sneak there phone in class . But they always get in trouble . They don’t need a phone becuase it is can make you fail class and other things that is a proably

Very valid points. I am using you as a source for my essay. Thank you.

Thanks this helped me with my Delve Project

Hi, my name is Eli and I am an 8th grader at Indianola Middle School in Iowa. I am doing a research project about a topic of my choice and I chose to research Should phones be allowed in class. I think you would be a great person to give me more information about this topic because you gave great points and reasons why phones should be allowed in school classrooms.

Thank you so much for this article, Love your work!!!

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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 32 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.

Yeah, that’s exactly why they have those supplies or items in the classroom, to alert parents. Kids don’t need to use their phones for that.

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.

Teachers have communication with all parents and it also has amber alerts

You just give the kids watches to call there parents or guardians on.

I’m a teacher. If there’s an event like this, it could be detrimental to the emergency system if too many people are calling. Also, kids don’t have the common sense to turn their ringers off. They go off in my class, more often than they should.. If there’s a shooter in any school, parents are going to be calling their kids. Phones constantly going off could lead a shooter to specific places if they can hear them. I understand the parent’s arguments as to why they want their kids to have their phones, but that very argument could lead to their child being hurt or killed in the scenario mentioned above.

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!

yes i’m am doing the same thing .this helped a lot

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.

I think that is article was very good. I’m currently writing and essay and I have used this for most of my evidence so far. I personally think that cellphones should be banned from the classroom because the school will get the information that your parents need out to them so you don’t have to cause a panic because you don’t know if your parents know what is going on at your school or not. It will just be better because then we wouldn’t have as many distractions in the classrooms as we do now because kids are always getting caught on their phones and they are constantly being sent down to the office and it takes time to get the class back on track. I personally agree with Doug that cellphones should be banned in the classrooms.

It’s striking to realize that the reason some parents feel the need to advocate for phone usage in school is due to concerns about a potential school shooting. While parents may be more informed about the harmful effects of smartphones in a learning environment, they take preference for the safety of their child in a hypothetical situation. It’s a hard debate because while the safety of their children is important, the drastic effects of students needing 20 minutes to refocus is significantly impacting their ability to learn in their classes. I find it very saddening that this is what our world has come to – prioritizing safety for a school shooting over academic performance, because it is no longer so unusual for a school to experience that type of tragedy.

I liked the comment, “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,” because I experienced this phenomenon in my early middle school years, with the invention of the first iPhone. All of a sudden an invention that was broadcasted on the news became an essential for the other students in my middle school class, to the point where I became one of the only students without one. Then, I finally succumbed to the pressure, and begged my parents for an iPhone as I felt extremely left out. It’s frustrating to accept that this pressure is affecting children now younger and younger by the year, with even six year old children I babysit owning their own iPhone/iPad.

I also think that with the prevalence of child phone usage significantly increases parental anxiety, particularly for those parents who are already overbearing to start. Giving parents the ability to contact their child at any given time is harmful, and it can create a dependence on either side. It’s ironic given the fact that parents push their children to focus and succeed in their classes, yet harass them all day about minuscule things that could’ve been addressed later that day. So yes, parents need to stop calling their kids during the day.

this helped me with my school project, very reliable source.

I think that this talked more about why parents should help more than why cell phones should be banned.

I think the teachers or guardians will allow you to contact someone but I think after the shooting or crisis they will contact your parents or guardian from the office or person in charge

I agree, I’m 13 and I honestly could live without a phone

i also agree but parents need to reach their kids somehow if something happens in school

I’m also 13

had to research this for an assingnment and onistlly, I love my phone and I would marry it if I could!

This is really reasonable. In my school my friends have cell phones and there is a lot of drama. I am writing a report on this.

This is really good

I’ve taught high school since 1999. Should cell phones be banned? 100% Absolutley. I don’t think twice about it.

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Should Schools Ban Cellphones?

Rules restricting when students can use phones are on the rise. Do they work? Are they fair?

By Jeremy Engle

Nearly one in four countries has laws or policies banning or restricting student cellphone use in schools .

Proponents say the smartphone crackdowns reduce classroom distractions by preventing students from scrolling through social media and sending bullying text messages.

Critics believe the bans could limit students’ opportunities to develop personal responsibility and warn that enforcing restrictions could increase harsh disciplinary measures like school suspensions.

What do you think?

How would you and your peers react to a cellphone ban in your school? Could a no-phone rule work? Would it be fair? Would you welcome or oppose it? Or, perhaps, does your school already have a ban?

In “ This Florida School District Banned Cellphones. Here’s What Happened ,” Natasha Singer writes that in the wake of Orlando’s new policy, which bars students from using cellphones during the entire school day, student engagement increased, but so did the hunt for contraband phones:

One afternoon last month, hundreds of students at Timber Creek High School in Orlando poured into the campus’s sprawling central courtyard to hang out and eat lunch. For members of an extremely online generation, their activities were decidedly analog. Dozens sat in small groups, animatedly talking with one another. Others played pickleball on makeshift lunchtime courts. There was not a cellphone in sight — and that was no accident. In May, Florida passed a law requiring public school districts to impose rules barring student cellphone use during class time. This fall, Orange County Public Schools — which includes Timber Creek High — went even further, barring students from using cellphones during the entire school day. In interviews, a dozen Orange County parents and students all said they supported the no-phone rules during class. But they objected to their district’s stricter, daylong ban. Parents said their children should be able to contact them directly during free periods, while students described the all-day ban as unfair and infantilizing. “They expect us to take responsibility for our own choices, ” said Sophia Ferrara, a 12th grader at Timber Creek who needs to use mobile devices during free periods to take online college classes. “But then they are taking away the ability for us to make a choice and to learn responsibility.” Like many exasperated parents, public schools across the United States are adopting increasingly drastic measures to try to pry young people away from their cellphones. Tougher constraints are needed, lawmakers and district leaders argue, because rampant social media use during school is threatening students’ education, well-being and physical safety.

Ms. Singer discusses some of the benefits of a phone-free environment:

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Today’s students are digital natives. Nearly three out of four teenagers have access to a smart phone, and so many students take them to school every day . For some teachers, it’s probably more uncommon to see a student without one than with one.

But are cellphones in the classroom a good idea? Do they serve as a valid learning tool or, or are they just another distraction contributing to the social disengagement of children?

We took a look at the arguments for using cellphones in class, along with the number of students with phones and the number of apps available to them.

Smartphone ownership

Cellphones have obviously come a long way since the two-pound, $3,995 Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was first introduced in 1984. Subsequent generations of mobile phones continued to evolve and became more affordable and portable, and now offer so much more value beyond a means to call others.

In the ongoing discussion surrounding the efficacy of digital devices in the classroom, schools must face the fact that smartphones are already being utilized by students of all ages. According to an eMarketer article referencing a February 2016 survey by Flagship Research, “Among the 14- to 18-year-olds polled, 87% said they ‘own and use’ a smartphone—i.e., penetration about a dozen percentage points higher than eMarketer’s figure for 12- to 17-year-olds.”

Clearly, young people are acquiring smartphones at a staggering rate.

App availability

Get this: The  Apple Store  had 800 apps the month of its launch in July 2008. As of January 2017, it had 2.2 million. How many educational apps are there? According to New America , as of June 2015, there were over 80,000 educational apps available in the app store.

From colors to ABCs to “The Little Engine That Could,” what used to be taught through books can now be learned through apps—and that’s just for younger generations. The applications for using smartphones from preschool through college are in place and growing.

Why smartphones should be allowed in school

With the widespread use of smartphones by younger and younger students, what are the practical reasons for allowing smartphones as a learning tool in the classroom? Consider these points:

• Students learn in a way they are comfortable. Smartphones are young-person intuitive. More and more students know how to use them, and they are becoming the most used “tool” by teens.
• Students can get answers quickly. Smartphones provide the ability to get answers really fast. In some situations, a student may not ask for clarification to a question he or she has in an open classroom—because they can use their smartphone to get the answer they’re looking for.
• Audio and video can bring learning to life . Audio and video capabilities of smartphones can put a voice to John F. Kennedy, a dramatic video image to the Hindenburg disaster, and allow students to hear the music of Chopin or Al Jolson. They can even connect students with other students from around the globe and expand their learning world.
• Access to educational apps. Equipping your classroom with handy learning apps takes learning up a notch. There are many educational apps available in a wide range of subjects for all kinds of learners. These game-like exercises encourage playful competition among your students, while enhancing the way they learn new ideas. Plus, students (and you, the teacher) will love the change from regular lecture instruction.
• Smartphones allow for social learning . Smartphones can allow students to work in groups on projects, sharing information and discoveries. They can move toward a common goal, again, in a format they are comfortable using.

How to, not if to, use smartphones

Challenges of leveling the playing field, maintaining proper use and control, and preventing abuse with smartphones are similar to problems faced by teachers in the past. Back then, it was passing a note; today it is texting. Both are fairly avoidable, but it doesn’t mean phones should be banned (paper wasn’t!).

We believe the focus of smartphone use in the classroom should shift from not if they should be used, but how to best use them. While critics will cite the opportunity for cheating, unauthorized socializing, and social isolation issues involved, the fact is students are using smartphones every day, and they are using them to learn. Teachers can be a positive force in helping students use them properly in the classroom.

Our advice: set ground rules for smartphones in your classroom, along with clear expectations of what happens if they’re used inappropriately. Just like with anything else, too much of something can be a bad thing—but just enough, can be perfect for learning in new ways.

Further your knowledge about the digital classroom

Here are more articles to enhance your understanding of how digital devices can affect learning:

• Driven to Distraction: The Device Debate
• Pros and Cons of Allowing Digital Devices in the Classroom
• What is BYOD? And Why Should Teachers Care?

You may also like to read

• Cooperative Learning for Middle School Math Class
• Benefits of Teaching at a Charter School
• 5 Ways to Design a School for Brain-based Learning
• Using Learning Stations in Middle School
• Avoiding Summer Slide: Strategies to Keep Kids Learning While School's Out
• Professional Students: Benefits and Risks of Working While in High School

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Where Should Students Be Allowed to Use Cellphones? Here’s What Educators Say

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Corrected : A chart in a previous version of this story contained incorrect percentages for where educators say students should be allowed to use cellphones.

To ban or not to ban? This question has been front and center for many schools recently as they strategize how to address students’ ubiquitous use of cellphones.

With nearly 9 in 10 teens 13 and older possessing a smartphone , these devices have become a major source of distraction and disruption in schools, especially when students’ online arguments spill over into in-school arguments and physical fights.

And many educators and school support staff feel that students’ constant access to social media on their smartphones is harming their mental wellbeing and hurting their ability to learn. Some educators go so far to say that students are addicted to their devices.

Nearly a quarter of teachers, principals, and district leaders think that cellphones should be banned from school grounds, according to a recent nationwide survey conducted in September and October by the EdWeek Research Center.

But, overall, educators are divided on the issue.

“We should be learning to manage cellphones in the classroom. They are here to stay,” one educator said in the survey. “BUT they are the biggest distraction.”

Said another survey respondent: “We recently banned cellphones. Previously, they were allowed during passing time and at lunch. However, they had taken over instructional time. Students would get out their phones without thinking and teachers would have to spend as much time redirecting as they were teaching. That, or have a power struggle over confiscation.”

But schools face headwinds from students and parents—many of whom want to be able to reach their children throughout the day—when they try to restrict students’ access to cellphones during the school day.

And as the charts below show, in many cases there’s a yawning gap between what students are allowed to do and what educators think would be best for schools.

For example, nearly three-quarters of teachers, principals, and district leaders say that high school students in their schools and districts are allowed to use their phones during lunch, but only half believe that should be permitted.

The survey also found that a significantly larger share of teachers are in favor of banning cellphones on campus than district leaders. Principals were more in line with teachers than district leaders on that decision.

The following charts show where students are allowed to use cellphones on campus, where educators think phones should be permitted, and how teachers, principals, and district leaders differ on the issue of an all-out cellphone ban.

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.

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March 14, 2023

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

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Experts see pros and cons to allowing cellphones in class

by Anna Lamb, Harvard Gazette

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.

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."

Provided by Harvard Gazette

This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette , Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu .

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A Look at State Efforts to Ban Cellphones in Schools and Implications for Youth Mental Health

Nirmita Panchal and Sasha Zitter Published: Sep 05, 2024

Heading into the 2024-2025 school year, a growing number of states are implementing or considering state-wide bans on cellphones in schools. Many leaders in education and policymakers suggest cellphone bans will help mitigate youth mental health concerns and distractions during academic instruction. The resurgence of cellphone bans follows two advisories from the U.S. Surgeon General on the youth mental health crisis and the harmful impacts of social media use and recommendations from UNESCO to limit cellphone use in schools across the world. Unlike many recent political issues, school cellphone ban policies have largely received bipartisan support, and the Biden-Harris administration continues to promote online safety for youth. At the same time, research on the effectiveness of cellphone bans is limited, and although multiple states are adopting these bans, challenges remain with enforcement, accommodating exceptions, and equity.

How widespread are school cellphone bans?

Cellphone bans began decades ago amid concerns about drug deals among students via cellphones or pager devices, and have fluctuated since. In 2009, 91% of public schools prohibited cellphone use, which fell to 66% in 2015 before rising again to 76% in 2021. Cellphone bans are now being considered at the state level in light of growing student academic and mental health concerns that are associated with excessive use of smartphones.

Seven states have passed state-wide policies that ban or restrict cellphone use in schools as of September 4, 2024 (Figure 1) . These policies vary from state to state. 

• Florida passed a phone ban for K-12 classrooms that prohibits cellphone use during class time and blocks access to social media for all devices on district Wi-Fi. Additionally, there is a digital literacy component beginning in sixth grade that requires education on the spread of misinformation on social media and digital footprints. The ban went into effect in July 2024.
• Indiana’s ban prohibits students from using any portable wireless device (including cellphones, gaming devices, laptops, and tablets) during instructional time, with exceptions from teachers and/or administrators, or during emergencies. Each school board in Indiana is then expected to draft and publicly post specific policies for their schools – i.e. whether students can access their devices during lunch or what consequences students may face for using prohibited devices. The ban went into effect in July 2024.
• Louisiana passed a ban , which will take effect in the 2024-2025 academic year, that prohibits both the use and possession of cellphones throughout the school day. If cellphones are brought onto school property, they must be turned off and stored away. Exceptions can be made for students who require learning accommodations.
• Minnesota’s bill instructs school districts and charter schools to adopt policies on student cell phone use and possession by March 2025, but it does not specify the nature or extent of these policies.
• Ohio’s ban , similarly to Indiana’s, requires every school district to create and implement official policies regarding cellphone use at school. The bill includes exceptions for those with health conditions that require monitoring or for learning accommodations. The bill will take effect in August 2024.
• South Carolina’s ban was implemented via the Governor’s Budget Proviso 1.103 , which requires public schools seeking State Aid to Classrooms to implement the model policy drafted by the State Board of Education beginning in January 2025. The Board’s model policy was approved in September of 2024, prohibiting students from accessing unauthorized electronic devices unless authorized for educational or health purposes. A special exception is made for students who volunteer for emergency response organizations, who must receive written permission.
• Virginia’s Governor established Executive Order 33 , which ordered state officials to solicit public opinion regarding cellphones in schools to allow them to create definitions of “cellphone-free education” and to publish both model implementation plans and draft policy guidance to inform public school systems’ phone policies. The governor also ordered the state to make $500,000 available to support the implementation of school cellphone policies.

Fourteen states have introduced state-wide legislation that bans or restricts cellphone use in schools and education departments in six states have issued recommended policies or pilot programs that similarly aim to ban or restrict cellphone use in schools (Figure 1) . States are taking a variety of measures to mitigate cellphone use during instruction time. In Alabama , Connecticut , New Hampshire , and West Virginia , their respective education departments have issued guidance on restricting cellphone use in schools (Figure 1). Pilot programs via the education departments in Arkansas and Delaware allocate funds for students to use lockable magnetic phone pouches during school hours. Similarly, while legislation is under consideration in Pennsylvania, the Governor amended the existing School Safety and Mental Health grant program, allowing for the purchase of lockable phone pouches. Georgia has restricted access to social media platforms during school, and New Jersey established a commission to study the effects of social media use at school. Arizona and Utah each introduced bills that subsequently failed, but draft bills indicate that these states continue to work towards phone-free learning environments.

Implementation and enforcement of cellphone bans may be difficult to navigate . The enforcement of these cellphone bans often becomes an added responsibility for teachers . Exceptions to these bans are also challenging to navigate as many students may need their devices for medical reasons or parents have differing expectations for maintaining contact. Additionally, cellphone bans have brought to light equity concerns – for example, New York’s prior state-wide cellphone ban was lifted in 2015 in part because of stricter enforcement at schools serving students from low-income households compared to schools serving students from high-income households. At the same time, banning cellphones has been linked to positive outcomes, such as improved test scores , especially among students who typically do not perform as well academically.

What is the connection between cellphone use and mental health?

Youth often use cellphones to access social media and social media is linked to poor mental health . In 2023, a survey of adolescents found that 51% reported using social media for at least four hours per day. Adolescent social media use is associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression, exposure to harmful content – the effects of which adolescents are more susceptible to – and body dissatisfaction and eating disorders , especially among girls. Excessive social media use and social media addiction are associated with sleep issues , which may result in negative neurological effects . However, social media use among youth can also be beneficial as it allows for self-expression, finding communities with shared interests, and accessing important resources, including mental health resources.

Approximately nine in ten public schools report occurrences of cyberbullying – a form of bullying through technological devices, including cellphones – among students (Figure 2) . Cyberbullying is associated with social and emotional distress , depression , and suicidal ideation among youth and is more often  experienced  by female and sexual minority youth compared to their peers. In 2023, 16% of high school students reported electronic bullying, and this was heightened among LGBT+ adolescents (25%) and females (21%). Technological devices can also be used to create and spread digitally altered pornographic content without consent – a practice that primarily targets females and may negatively impact their mental health. Further, cellphone ownership among youth is linked to increased experiences of cyberbullying.

Excessive cellphone use can distract from in-person socialization and is associated with loneliness among adolescents . Establishing and building relationships with peers is beneficial to youth well-being and can have a protective effect on adolescents experiencing adversity. With the distraction of cellphones, peer relationship-building may be negatively impacted.

Approximately 40% of public schools report moderate to severe negative impacts on student learning and on teacher and staff morale when students use their electronic devices without permission (Figure 3) . Many teachers report that students being distracted with their cellphones is a major problem in their classrooms and that enforcing cellphone restrictions is challenging. The presence of smart phones may reduce cognitive capacity, especially for those highly addicted to their phones, and notifications disrupt focus and attention. Further, there is a negative association between time spent on smartphones and academic performance.

What is known on the effectiveness of cellphone bans and other actions to address youth mental health?

While evidence on the outcomes of school cellphone bans is limited, widespread concerns regarding the harms of smartphone use on youth well-being continue to invoke action by policymakers and leaders in education . Emerging research on student outcomes is mixed, with some studies suggesting improvements in student mental health and academic performance and a reduction in bullying, and others showing little to no change. While evidence on school bans is inconsistent, rising concerns regarding the harms of social media and internet use among youth have led to policy and safety measures being introduced at the state and federal level. For instance, policymakers recently introduced bipartisan legislation – the Focus on Learning Act – that calls on the U.S. Department of Education to conduct studies on the impact of cellphone use on students’ academic and mental health outcomes, among other provisions. Cellphone bans in schools, however, cannot serve as the sole response to technology-associated harm to youth. Other multi-prong approaches are also being implemented, such as the Biden-Harris administration’s continued efforts to improve online safety for children. These include creating the Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force , which recently released Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry , and a Call to Action to mitigate image-based sexual abuse. Additionally, the Surgeon General recommended that social media platforms include a warning label that states that social media is linked to poor mental health among adolescents.

• Mental Health
• Affordable Care Act
• Adolescents
• State Level

Also of Interest

• Addressing Youth Mental Health with Social and Emotional Learning in Schools
• Examining New Medicaid Resources to Expand School-Based Behavioral Health Services
• Recent Trends in Mental Health and Substance Use Concerns Among Adolescents

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Cell Phones Should Be Allowed in School: An Argumentative Perspective

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Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School?

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Introduction

Cellphone use among students has skyrocketed over the last few years. In fact, it has now become uncommon for a student to not have a cellphone. Students will write an argumentative essay detailing why they should be able allowed to utilize their cellphones in school.

Learning Objectives

• ( ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 ) Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• ( ELA-Literacy.W.6.1.b ) Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

For the full writing prompt, download the PDF.

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Students examine the effects of cyberbullying and construct an argument through writing.

14 Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School Pros and Cons

Having a cellphone has become a rite of passage for children today, much like a driver’s license was for a previous generation Many students have free access to the Internet at home. They can use their phones to text and talk with their friends, play games, take pictures, and enjoy all the other elements of smartphone ownership that are available today.

That kind of access in schools may not be beneficial to the student, the teacher, or the learning process. Technology in the classroom may keep students engaged. It may also create a distraction which makes the learning process more difficult.

There are several pros and cons to think about when considering policies that allow cellphones in schools. Here are the key points to consider.

List of the Pros of Allowing Cellphones in Schools

1. It offers parents and students an extra layer of security. In the United States, school violence is an ongoing issue that students face as they get older. In an investigation by The Washington Post, U.S. students have endured an average of 10 school shootings per year since the events that unfolded at Columbine. That means almost 200,000 students have been exposed to gun violence in a place that is supposed to be safe.

It’s not just high schools either. There were 20 elementary-age children killed at Sandy Hook. A cellphone at school allows children to contact emergency services, speak with their parents, and have an extra layer of security during a lockdown drill.

2. It can be used as a research tool. Cellphones offer students access to instant research when they need to learn something new. If a student is curious about a specific subject, they can use their phone to learn more about it. Instead of risking embarrassment by asking for clarification about something they don’t know, students can look up information on their phone to receive an instant answer without interrupting the rest of the class.

3. It provides access to more information. Before cellphones and computers, students were at the mercy of their textbooks and their teachers for the knowledge they would obtain. Thanks to this technology, students now have the ability to access numerous resources that supplement what their teachers and textbooks offer. Cellphones provide access to learn a new language, play a new game, or develop skills they would not normally find accessible in the structure of the traditional classroom environment.

4. It offers access to video learning. Before cellphones, video learning meant a teacher rolling in the television cart, forcing all students to watch it from the vantage point of their desk. With a cellphone, a teacher can have students pull up a specific video to watch on their own. With headphones or earbuds, students can listen to the video without disturbing others. That makes it possible to understand key historical events from a new perspective, without worrying about an unintentional bias from a textbook author.

5. It offers access to learning assistance apps and devices. Listening to music while engaged in school work can enhance a student’s focus. Different types of music create different levels of focus for each student. With their own cellphone, students can listen to their music preference without creating a distraction for everyone else. This also gives students a chance to talk about their musical preferences, create connections with different students, and explore options that may not always be played at home.

6. It creates opportunities for social learning. Social media can have a negative effect on students. It can create all-day exposure to bullying behavior, create feelings of inadequacy, and even inspire isolation. If social learning is properly focused, however, the presence of a cellphone in the classroom can help students engage with others when they may be uncomfortable with extroverted actions. Digital devices, like a cellphone, can create a feeling of separation that can help some students come out of their shell.

List of the Cons of Allowing Cellphones in Schools

1. It may create health issues for some students. There are hyperactivity concerns for students who are frequently exposed to the blue light that cellphones produce on their screens. Even when warm tones are used in a “night shift” setting, there may be behavioral concerns with distraction or a lack of focus with the presence of a cellphone in a classroom setting. If students have screen time at school and at home, they may exceed more than 10 hours of time with an electronic device on a daily basis.

2. It gives students access to inappropriate information. Although President Trump likes to tout the idea of fake news when referencing the media, the Internet is the first source of fake news. Students must be taught how to distinguish between credible sources and non-credible information. With the variety of websites that can be viewed on a mobile device, students may use inappropriate research for their schoolwork. They might use their cellphone to access pornography during the school day. Even if a firewall is in place, students with a cellular connection may be able to get around it to view these types of content.

3. It offers multiple distractions to students. The modern cellphone does more than send a text or make a call. Apps for games, social interactions, and much more can be downloaded to create multiple layers of distraction. If a student is tempted to use their cellphone for pleasure more than for studying while in school, then their focus may be on developing friendship and social connections rather than maintaining good grades.

4. It creates potential safety concerns. According to information released by Safewave, 20% of teenagers in the United States who use the Internet regularly say that they’ve received unwanted sexual solicitation while they’ve been online. Only 1 out of 4 teens say that they told a parent when such a solicitation occurred. With 75% of kids between the ages of 12-17 having access to a cellphone or mobile device, the issue of online child predators must be taken into consideration when discussing the issue of allowing cellphones in schools.

16% of teens have considered meeting someone they’ve only talked to online. 8% have met someone they only knew online. Since teens are willing to meet with strangers, parents and teachers must engage with students frequently if cellphones are permitted.

5. It creates concerns with bullying. Cyberbullying is a major concern for students, especially when cellphones are involved. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, 33.8% of students reported that they have been cyberbullied at least once in their lives. 22.5% report seeing mean or hurtful comments online in the last 30 days. 20.1% reported seeing rumors about them being posted online. Because a cellphone gives bullies access to someone 24/7, there is no place that can be truly described as safe. For that reason, limiting cellphone access may offer more positives to some students, even if that limits their overall access to information.

6. It provides a disconnect. Is the quality of an online social connection of the same value as a personal connection? Being on a cellphone for an extended time period can create a disconnect for some students from face-to-face social activities, organized sports, and even family interactions. If cellphones are permitted in the classroom, a similar disconnect could occur with the teacher, the administrative staff, and even the subject matter being learned.

7. It creates issues of socioeconomic privilege. As of February 2018, the Pew Research Center reports that 5% of Americans do not own a cellphone of any type. 23% of people who do own a cellphone do not have a smartphone in their home. Rural households have the steepest gap in smartphone ownership. Whereas 83% of urban households own a smartphone, only 65% of rural households own one. That means allowing cellphones in schools could create learning gaps not only in low-income households, but in rural households as well.

8. It could encourage cheating. If answers are only one Google search away, using a cellphone to get around a tough test question becomes a tough temptation to avoid for some students. To avoid this issue, teachers or school districts could require that all cellphones be turned in before a test or have all phones turned off during the test. Students who are prone to cheating would also look for answers in other ways anyway, but the ease of answer access could encourage those who wouldn’t normally cheat to think about it.

Should cellphones be allowed in schools? There are several key pros and cons to consider here. Allowing technology in the classroom has provided many schools with learning improvements. It has also created new temptations for students to avoid doing their work. If students are taught how to be online safely and are shown how to choose a good-quality information resource, then it could be a positive experience for many.

Cell Phones in School: Pros and Cons

Khadija Bilal

Cell phones and smartphones are a big part of modern life. Many people use them every day, including kids and teens. But there’s still a debate about cell phones in school. In this guide, we’ll look at some arguments for why should phones be allowed in school, while also addressing some common concerns parents may have.

Interesting Facts and Statistics About Cell Phones in Education

How cell phones can be used effectively, what are the pros of allowing cell phones in school, what are the cons of allowing cell phones, are there any alternatives, should kids have cell phones in school.

iVazoUSky/Shutterstock.com

Before we look at some of the pros and cons of cell phones in school, let’s look at some statistics to get a clearer picture of the situation.

• 53% of children will own a smartphone by the age of 11 in the US
• That number increases to a whopping 95% in teenagers
• Surveys show that as well as passing the time, 83% of kids use their phones to learn
• Cell phones are the favored tool of communication among modern teens
• 41% of teens from lower-income households use their phones to access the internet
• Studies show that learning on mobile devices can boost productivity by over 40%
• Teens can spend over 7 hours a day looking at screens

These are just some of the many, many statistics about cell phones among teens and in the education sector. From this, we can see that mobile and cellular phone technology is a big part of life for today’s teenagers, and cell phones in school do have the power of providing super educational opportunities.

At the same time, with so many kids spending hours a day staring at their phone screens, there’s also a risk that a phone in school could be too much of a distraction. This means that authorities need to weigh up the pros and cons before deciding about banning or allowing phones.

Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com

Many parents and teachers worry about the risks or downsides associated with using cheap phones at school. However, there are plenty of ways in which children can use these devices for educational and beneficial purposes.

Educational Apps and Games

One of the most obvious ways in which cell phones can be used effectively for education is through the many educational apps and games out there. Mobile app stores are filled with educational content for kids of all ages.

There are apps designed to help kids learn languages, for example. There are also tools and games to help with every school subject, from math to geography.

Related: The 30 Best Educational Apps for School .

Digital Learning Materials

Anna Jurkovska/Shutterstock.com

Giving kids access to their phones at school allows them to use an almost endless library of digital learning materials. There are countless educational documents online, from scientific research papers to exam tips and more.

This can be very beneficial in a school environment. If a child doesn’t quite understand a subject, their teacher can help them by sharing digital learning materials that explain the idea in other ways.

Videos, Podcasts, and More

Every child has their own way of learning. Some like to learn by repeating and memorizing information over and over. Others are more visual learners and want to see ideas and concepts represented with images to get a strong understanding of how they work.

A great thing about using phones and other devices is that they can access all sorts of different digital materials. There are videos about scientific processes, podcasts discussing literature, and long-form articles on mathematic principles, for example.

Cell Phone eReaders

Reading is one of the crucial skills that all children are taught during their early school years. Being able to read well is so important in later life. This skill allows children, teens, and adults to read and understand countless resources, from books to articles and encyclopedias.

A great way that phones can be used in schools is as digital eReaders. It’s easy to download an eReading app onto a phone and then read digital versions of books and documents. This also has eco-friendly benefits, as it removes the need for paper or physical versions of books.

Online Encyclopedias

Another useful way in which phones can be effective at school is by giving kids access to online encyclopedias, like Wikipedia. These educational resources are very powerful, filled with reams of information and knowledge for kids to soak up.

Children can use their phones to look up the different topics they’re taught at school. This can help to deepen their understanding of almost any subject. It also provides supplementary information that the class teacher might not mention.

Screen Control Apps

One of the common problems that people cite when it comes to phones in schools is that they can be distracting. Many parents and teachers worry that kids will spend too much time looking at their phones and not enough time paying attention in class.

However, a way to combat this is to make use of screen control apps. Apps like Kids360 , for example, allow you to track and control how much time your child’s device is on.

Collaboration and Group Work

Often, teachers put kids into groups and ask them to work together on a project. This is a great way for kids of different ages to not only build new social bonds but also develop their teamwork skills.

Phones can be helpful tools for collaboration. They facilitate communication between the different team members, letting everyone participate, even after-school when the various team members say goodbye and go home for the day.

Related: What Age Should a Kid Get a Phone? The Ultimate Guide to Deciding .

Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock.com

Clearly, when it comes to phones in schools, there are both pros and cons. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages.

A Powerful Learning Tool

One of the best benefits of allowing cell phones in school is their incredible potential for educational benefits and stronger learning.

As shown above, there are lots of ways that phones can be used for learning. They give access to eReaders, educational apps, online encyclopedias, and more.

An Additional Security Measure

Another benefit of letting kids take phones to school is for their own safety. If any kind of emergency happens, the child will be able to make a call and get help or contact their parents.

Not only that, but phones can be helpful for safeguarding kids outside of school, as they make their way home. Parents can use the Findmykids app to track their child’s location and keep them secure.

Download the Findmykids app today for free and be sure your child is safe wherever they are.

Communication with Friends and Family

Despite having so many different uses nowadays, the primary purpose of a phone is for communication.

Phones at school can help kids keep in touch with one another, work together on group projects, and build strong friendships.

Organization

Many students struggle to stay organized. It can be hard to keep track of homework, schedules, assignments, exams, and so on.

Phones make organization easier. They come with calendar apps and other handy tools to help kids organize their lives and become more independent.

Saving Schools Money

Phones can also provide benefits for the school itself. Instead of having to spend lots of money on school devices like tablets or iPads, the school can simply ask students to use their phones.

eReader apps can remove the need for investment in books, and phones could therefore help schools with limited budgets or resources.

Helping Children from Lower-Income Homes

Proshkin Aleksandr/Shutterstock.com

Another financial-related benefit of phones at school is that they might be able to help kids who come from lower-income homes.

Some kids don’t have internet access or computers at home. Being able to use a phone at school can give them the knowledge and tech skills they need to succeed later in life.

Teaching Kids Tech Skills

Technology is an integral part of today’s world. Kids will need to know how to use various technological tools like phones, computers, and the internet as they grow up.

Bringing phones to school will help to level the playing field and give all kids the chance to learn about how to their devices in the best ways to access knowledge and learn skills.

Teaching Digital Responsibility

If kids aren’t taught the rights and wrongs of using their phones, they may have to simply figure things out for themselves. This could lead to bad habits and serious mistakes being made in their future.

Bringing phones to school gives teachers the chance to teach children about digital responsibility. It can teach them when it’s allowed to use their phones and how to use them in a way that is respectful of others.

As well as the pros listed above, there are also several cons to take into consideration regarding phones in schools. Here are a few of the big concerns:

A Distraction

One of the big issues that many people talk about with phones in schools is the risk of them becoming a distraction. Kids could start looking at their phones while the teacher is talking and miss out on valuable information, for example.

There’s also a risk of kids being less likely to interact and socialize together if they’re too distracted by their screens and devices.

However, this disadvantage can be easily dealt with. For example, you can install the Kids360 app and make a schedule for using the gadget—restrict access to games during school and before going to bed and monitor which applications and how long the child is using.

Mental Health Effects and Addiction

Some studies have shown that phones could have a negative effect on a child or teen’s mental health. It’s even possible for children of varying ages to develop addictions or dependencies on their devices.

This is why phone usage needs to be carefully monitored, controlled, and balanced. If a child is allowed to use their phone non-stop, they could easily become addicted to them.

Possible Cyberbullying

Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock.com

Bullying has always been a big problem in schools across the globe. It has changed form over the years, with cyberbullying becoming more prevalent in modern times.

With cyberbullying, bullies can use the internet and technological devices, like phones, to send harmful messages or spread false rumors about their peers. This can be very damaging to the victims.

Read also Children and cyberbullying: what is it and how to stop it?

Risk of Cheating

Another possible downside to consider with allowing phones in schools is the risk of cheating. During an exam, for instance, a student could use their phone to look up the answer to a question.

This kind of behavior could damage the integrity of the examination process. It could also make children too dependent on their devices and cause them to get false grades that are not reflective of their true abilities.

Potential for Misuse

Of course, with any internet-connected device, there’s also a risk of phones being misused by children. Instead of using them for educational purposes, kids could simply play games or watch videos.

There’s also a chance of children being able to access unsuitable content on their phones via the internet. For this reason, any phone usage at school would need to be carefully monitored.

EZ-Stock Studio/Shutterstock.com

If, after weighing up the pros and cons of phones in schools, you feel that phones should be banned or strictly controlled, you might like to consider an alternative. So, are there any other devices out there that can provide similar benefits and uses?

In general, the only alternatives to phones are other devices that function in a similar way, like GPS and smartwatches, or laptops and tablets. These devices allow access to educational materials and apps, but also have many of the same risks and downsides as phones.

Choose a GPS watch for a child right now and be calm for the safety of your child wherever they are!

Everyone will have their opinion on whether or not phones should be allowed in schools. However, after weighing up the pros and cons, it’s arguable that the benefits of phones outweigh the risks and kids should be allowed the opportunity to use their phones in certain ways at school.

These technological tools are part of the world, and kids will use them throughout their lives. By bringing them into the school environment, it should be easier to teach children and teens the right ways to use their phones for educational purposes, rather than simply as distractions, giving them valuable knowledge and skills they can take into later life.

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On phones and laptops, colleges should follow schools’ lead and shut them down

This year, eight states have instituted laws or rules to limit phone use in public schools. The result: happier, more engaged students. So why aren’t universities taking a cue from our schools?

The kids are not all right.

That’s the big takeaway from a recent survey of American teenagers by Common Sense Media, a children’s advocacy group. Just one-third of respondents between ages 12 and 17 said things were going well for them. The rest reported being bored in school, disengaged from politics, and struggling to maintain their mental health.

And guess what? When asked about the main cause for declining mental health, the largest number mentioned the negative effect of social media; the next largest cited bullying, much of which takes place online.

That comes on the heels of last year’s report by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who cited social media as an important cause of youth mental health problems. And earlier this year, at a congressional hearing , politicians of both parties blamed several tech titans — including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg — for fueling the rise in teen suicide, eating disorders, and much else.

Meanwhile, in a Pew Research Center survey in April, nearly three-quarters of high school teachers said that students being distracted by their cell phones in the classroom was a “major problem.”

That’s why a growing number of schools are banning cell phones in class or even on campus . This year, eight states instituted laws or rules to limit phone use in schools. And of the nation’s 20 largest school districts, 14 forbid phones or impose substantial restrictions , such as prohibiting phones when classes are in session.

They report stronger academic engagement and — surprise! — happier students, who converse more authentically with each other. “Now people can’t really be, like, ‘Oh, look at me on Instagram. This is who I am,’” remarked a student at a Florida high school that prohibited cell phones during the school day. “It has helped people be who they are — instead of who they are online — in school.”

So why aren’t universities taking a cue from our schools?

College students have been experiencing mental health problems , too, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re having difficulties sleeping, studying, and relating to others. And research has shown that increased cell phone use among college students is associated with, yes, anxiety and unhappiness .

It also brings down their grades , which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Back in 2011, 92% of surveyed college students admitted using their cell phones to send text messages during class. And in a 2015 survey, students reported using digital devices for nonacademic purposes 11.7 times per day in class, accounting for 21% of their overall time in class .

Those devices include laptops, of course, which inhibit learning even when you’re focused on the lesson. Research has shown that students taking notes in a lecture class with pen and paper — as opposed to their laptops — perform better on tests about the lecture . They need to think about what to write down; they don’t simply transcribe what was said, as laptop users often do.

But the majority of college students use laptops in class. And many of their professors let them surf the web on their computers — or text on their phones — to their hearts’ content.

I used to allow that in my courses at the University of Pennsylvania, where the new semester started up last week. My students are adults; they can vote in elections and die in wars. If they want to distract themselves with shoe shopping or sports scores, I reasoned, it’s up to them.

Then I found the research showing that students learned less when people sitting next to them were using laptops . And that changed everything. You may have a right to distract yourself, but you have no right — none — to distract someone else.

I went cold turkey: no laptops, phones, or tablets in class. Of course, I’ll make an exception if someone has a learning difference that requires them to use a device. Otherwise, though, you have to put away your electronics when you walk through the door.

The first time I mandated that, the students pushed back. We’re digital natives , they said. Don’t make us go back to the analog world!

Students are burned out on screens, and they know it. My class provides a brief but welcome respite from all of that.

Especially since the pandemic, however, I’ve gotten nothing but positive reactions. The students are burned out on screens, and they know it. My class provides a brief but welcome respite from all of that.

And once the devices are off, they pay more attention — not just to the course material, but to their classmates. “Professor Zimmerman runs a tech-free classroom, and students actually look at each other!” one of my students wrote last year, in their evaluation of the class. That’s because nobody is looking down at their phones, of course, or squinting into their computers.

I took the comment as a compliment, but it also made me incredibly sad. We have let social media companies dominate our students’ attention and — let’s just say it — their socialization as human beings . Instead of looking at each other, they look at images of people who seem richer, sexier, and happier than they are. No wonder so many of them are depressed.

I’m under no illusion that my no-technology rule can remedy that. But it surely helps my students learn more, and it also gives them a break from their screens. They look at each other and at me. And we are happy, if only for an hour or two.

Jonathan Zimmerman teaches education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of “The Amateur Hour: A History of College Teaching in America” and eight other books.

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Importance of Cell Phones in School

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10 Reasons Why Cell Phones Should be Allowed in Schools

In recent years, the debate over allowing students to use their phones at school has gained considerable attention. While many educational institutions enforce strict policies against cell phones , the argument for permitting their use is also compelling. In a world where technology permeates almost every aspect of our lives, it’s worth examining why cell phones should be allowed in schools.

Let’s take a step back and reconsider how cell phones can enhance the campus experience, rather than hinder it. After all, digital tools can streamline administration and make the campus experience much more enjoyable. Whether it’s checking into school events, participating in polls or group conversations, or even redeeming points for school swag, the arguments for cell phones on campus are vast. Schools that are open to the idea—but worried about abuse—can establish clear guidelines to regulate usage, ensuring that the devices serve a practical purpose without becoming a distraction.

Here are 10 Reasons Why Cell Phones Should be Allowed in Schools:

1. responsible digital citizenship.

When integrating phone time into the classroom environment it serves to teach students digital boundaries and enforces a positive screen time limit which will follow students off campus. Creating this boundary of situational cell phone use by having designated phone use on campus helps students live a life where their phone is a tool that they are not dependent on. 

Ensuring all students are safe is constantly on the minds of faculty. With students having connection to their parents at any time and ongoing digital communication with their peers during breaks, they are almost constantly under the watch of their trusted individuals. Not to mention anti-fraud Digital Hall Passes and Digital Student ID Cards are now available on student devices.

3. Accelerated learning

One proven fact is that cell phones in school can help accelerate a student’s learning. Students involved in social outlets like sports or clubs are able to excel in the classroom. Using virtual social tools can have that same effect and help students stay engaged in a classroom environment.

4. Activities

Letting students use their phones for interactive classwork and activities is an amazing way to keep them present and raise participation to an all-time high. 

5. Fosters positive change and innovation

Innovation is one of the great forefronts of academic society, so embrace it, and help prepare students for the outside world where phones are now a large part of 83% of the workforce. 

6. Intuitive learning

Since students today have grown up using cell phones, they are extremely comfortable with technology. Students of this generation have an intuitive sense of learning when it comes to tech and can help facilitate even the hardest of materials when made digital on a screen that the student is familiar with.

Every cell phone has access to a variety of tools that can come in handy in a classroom environment, such as a calculator, a timer, a clock, etc. 

8. Group work

Another reason why cell phones should be allowed on high school campuses is because they enable group work in the classroom, especially if you have multiple groups working toward different objectives. 

9. Creativity

Fostering creativity in the classroom is every teacher’s goal. With tools like video editing, and cameras, students can grasp their creative sides and become more engaged in some topics through the expression of their artistic passion.

10. Memories and fun

Lastly, you should allow phones at middle and high school campuses because this allows students to document and build their memories and relationships as they grow and create a positive school life where they feel happy to attend every day. 

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Watch CBS News

Schools across the U.S. restrict cellphones amid growing behavior, mental health, academic concerns

By Cara Tabachnick

September 2, 2024 / 8:00 AM EDT / CBS News

High school students who started school at Kansas City's Ewing Marion Kauffman School saw something new when they entered their classrooms: a cellphone lockbox. 

A new policy requires all high school students   to lock away their phones for the day. Students drop their mobiles into the box, which is designed for phones, and it's locked into after school hours, said Deon Whitten, dean of students at the charter school. The restrictions were instituted after a pilot study in 2023 with one ninth grade class showed those phone-free students had the highest GPA across the school, said Whitten. 

Once administrators saw the academic achievements the decision to restrict phones came easily. "There is a certain pressure with phones," said Whitten, 39, who has been at the charter school for about three years. "Now they could go to school and just be students. They don't have to worry." 

Teachers and administrators have long known cellphones were major distractions in learning: A  2023 Pew survey showed 72%  of high school teachers view cellphones as a major problem in their classrooms. 

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the effects of social media on youth mental health. This week he also issued an advisory on "parental stress," specifically naming monitoring children's phone use as a cause. 

But it's not just about academics. Cellphone restrictions can also assist with social development and creating community at the school, Kim Whitman a parent turned advocate told CBS News. Whitman, a co-founder of Phone Free , started advocating for no mobiles in schools after her children started their education. She said their organization surveys schools across the country that report massive behavioral issues, including fights planned on social media and an increasingly "anxious" generation. Whitman said if schools "allow phones to be present it's hard for students to connect and create a sense of belonging."

Some students concede having a phone in class distracted them from learning, and not having them felt better. "I'm not worried about the notifications I'm getting and who's texting me or what's going on on social media," Jazmine Anderson, an eighth grader at Martin Luther King Middle School in Virginia, told CBS News.

Administrators and communities listened: About 76% of public schools prohibit non-academic use of cellphones or smartphones during school hours, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.

But not every district wants to deal with a ban. Some parents want to have access to their children for safety concerns — or in the event of everyone's worst nightmare, a mass shooting — or for more mundane reasons, like coordinating rides or after-school scheduling. Virginia's Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order in the state  that requires districts to limit or ban cell phones by Jan. 1, even though many are already piloting programs. He told CBS News' Meg Oliver that as a parent he understands there still are "very practical concerns that need to be put in place," and families often need to be in touch during the day.

Other teachers and administrators don't want to become what some New York City educators described to CBS New York as the "phone police," risking wasting time on enforcing the ban or arguing with students about their phones. The country's largest school district proposed a ban, but ultimately wasn't able to get phone restrictions in place before the 2024 school year, CBS New York reported . 

Kansas City's Whitten says things have gone fairly smoothly with the implementation, but before instituting the no cellphone rule they had to get buy-in from parents. Some pushed back, Whitten said, concerned about safety and being in touch with their children in case of a mass shooting or other events, and some parents he said, just want control.

Other large school districts,  such as Los Angeles , were able to ban phones on school campuses. Florida banned cellphones across the state in 2023 and Indiana and Ohio passed legislation this year. 

Other schools are approaching it piecemeal, district by district. 

Granite School District in Utah restricted cellphone use in schools this year, buying pouches to allow students to keep their phones on them, CBS affiliate  KUTV reported.  "There's a lot of bullying and harassment going on through social media (and) through texting that's distracting," said Andrea Stringham, Granite School District spokesperson. It's also something that would "just help our students overall — academically, mentally, emotionally," she said.

New Jersey's Cherry Hill Public School District said they are instituting their new cellphone restrictions, which were passed in August, in steps. Superintendent Kwame Morton told CBS News after much discussion kids are going to be allowed to keep their cellphones on their person during school hours, but aren't allowed to use them during instructional hours. Students who don't follow the rules will be subject to the school's disciplinary policy, he said. Morton said after some pushback from vocal parents, the school decided to go with the least restrictive route. 

Morton said there was a consensus around concerns for students and constant access to mobile devices. "Kids are just growing up with a constant barrage on their mental health," he said.

Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at [email protected]

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Limit use of cellphones in schools

A basket full of phones in a Shelter Island teacher's class in 2023. Credit: Randee Daddona

As a new school year gets underway, cellphone use has taken its place alongside many educational concerns, from the continuing learning lag in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to drops in enrollment that threaten school funding to worries about students' mental health and emotional well-being. Research shows cellphone use exacerbates some of those issues.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is undertaking a listening tour, as the state considers proposing legislation setting limits on cellphones in the classroom. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is considering a cellphone ban in city schools. On Long Island, school districts are making their own policies with hopes of help from statewide guidance and standards.

Limiting cellphone use in classrooms has clear upsides. More than 70% of high school teachers nationwide say cellphone distraction is a "major problem," according to a recent Pew Research study. Students would be more engaged and, hopefully, more prepared and able to learn without the cellphone buzzing by their sides or in their laps. They would socialize with one another more, too, if they weren't staring at the small electronic device. Cyberbullying could diminish. And students' concentration and focus would certainly improve if they weren't always anticipating the next notification, story or post.

All of those upsides could happen if teachers put down their cellphones, too.

Some parents consider such policies an abridgment of "parental rights." Others point to the need for cellphones in emergencies. But there are other ways to reach a school or a student — as there were in the years before cellphones.

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There are many ways to limit cellphone use in the classroom — and Hochul should consider them all. Yondr, a company that makes magnetically locked pouches, is paying tens of thousands of dollars to lobby both the state and the city. But some districts don't have funds to spend on expensive mechanisms. There are plenty of models of how to limit use already in place in other jurisdictions that should be examined.

Just as the state does with all sorts of educational issues, New York officials should focus on developing a uniform approach that establishes appropriate standards and guidance without dictating methods, promoting specific products or vendors, or increasing costs. That starts with recognizing that limiting, if not eliminating, cellphone use in the classroom is a worthwhile goal. Considering best practices and studying current research will help officials craft regulations but districts must be given flexibility to put that guidance, informed by parental input, into place.

Ultimately, classrooms should be places for teaching and learning, not buzzing and beeping. 

MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD  are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.

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Debate over phones in the classroom

Several area schools are starting the school year with new cell phone restrictions.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Parents are debating tougher school rules for cell phones. It’s become a major conversation in our area and across the state as some schools put major restrictions on cell phone usage, including on Green Bay-area mom boards on Facebook.

The questions are, should kids have cell phones in the classroom, should there be restrictions, and what are the pros and cons?

Several schools in Northeast Wisconsin are starting the school year with new cell phone restrictions, including Sheboygan Falls.

Administrators say phones and ear buds will be prohibited in classrooms, during study hall, in the library and in bathrooms. Students can leave their phones in their lockers or stash them in classroom caddies throughout the day.

The latest report by the Pew Research Center says 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cell phone distraction is a major problem in the classroom.

The debate for parents, and some of those concerns, are what if there’s an emergency and your child needs a cell phone to call you?

Other parents agree the phones are a distraction and can impact school work and behavior.

If you have thoughts on this, share them on Aisha Morales’ WBAY Facebook page .

For more context, the First Alert Safety Desk recently reported on several warnings from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who says social media use can cause depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, sleep difficulties and eating disorders for adolescents.

It goes back to that conversation about screen time and doing what’s best for your child and your family.

Copyright 2024 WBAY. All rights reserved.

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Cell Phones Should be Allowed in School: Argumentative Essay

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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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Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In School

Students are often asked to write an essay on Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In School in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In School

Introduction.

Cell phones have become an essential part of our lives. The question is, should they be allowed in schools? This is a hot topic with many different views.

Benefits of Cell Phones in School

Cell phones can be helpful in schools. They can be used for learning. Students can use them to research, do math, or read. They can also be used for safety. If there is an emergency, students can call for help.

Drawbacks of Cell Phones in School

Cell phones can also be a problem in schools. They can distract students from learning. Students might spend time on games or social media instead of studying. They can also lead to cheating in exams.

In conclusion, cell phones have both benefits and drawbacks in schools. It’s important for schools to find a balance. They could allow cell phones but set rules for when and how they can be used.

250 Words Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In School

Reasons for allowing cell phones.

Firstly, cell phones can be helpful learning tools. Many have apps that can help students learn new things. For example, language learning apps can help students learn a new language. Also, cell phones can be used for research during class.

Secondly, cell phones can provide safety. Parents can contact their children in case of an emergency.

Reasons Against Allowing Cell Phones

On the other hand, cell phones can be a distraction. Students might use them to play games or chat with friends during class. This can lead to poor grades and less learning.

Also, cell phones can lead to cyberbullying. Students might use them to send mean messages or spread rumors.

In conclusion, there are good reasons for and against allowing cell phones in schools. It’s important to think about these reasons and make a wise decision. Maybe schools can allow cell phones but set rules to prevent misuse. This way, students can enjoy the benefits of cell phones without the drawbacks.

500 Words Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In School

Learning tools.

Cell phones can be great for learning. They can help students research topics, take notes, and even study for tests. Many schools now use apps for homework and classwork, making cell phones a vital part of the learning process. Some educators even use cell phones in their lesson plans to make learning more interactive and engaging.

Communication

Another reason why cell phones should be allowed in schools is for communication. Students can use them to contact their parents or guardians in case of an emergency. Plus, they can stay in touch with their friends and plan group study sessions. Cell phones help students feel connected and safe.

Distractions

Cyberbullying.

Another concern is cyberbullying. With cell phones, students can send hurtful messages or share embarrassing photos quickly and easily. This can lead to a lot of harm and distress for the victims. Schools need to ensure they have proper measures in place to prevent and address cyberbullying if they allow cell phones.

In conclusion, whether cell phones should be allowed in school is a complex issue. They can be great tools for learning and communication, but they can also be sources of distraction and cyberbullying. It’s important for schools to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. They should also think about how they can use cell phones in a way that benefits students while minimizing the risks.

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Western Pa. districts split on students’ cellphones as schools across the country add device policies

Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at [email protected] .

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By the numbers Students tend to disagree with the actions of government leaders on the restriction of cellphone use in schools. About 70% of children 13 to 17 say the benefits of smartphones outweigh the harm, according to Pew data published in June. But the push for cellphone restrictions is not unfounded. Among K-12 schools, 95% of students have cellphones and more than 80% have smartphones specifically, Pew reported in January . For 72% of U.S. high school teachers, cellphone distractions are a major problem in class, Pew reported. Less than 35% of middle school teachers across the country reported it as an issue. Despite the majority of K-12 teachers reporting that their school has a cellphone policy, many say the policy is hard to enforce, according to Pew. Six in 10 high school teachers said their school's cellphone policy was very or somewhat difficult to enforce. Only 30% of middle school teachers reported this.

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