PROS:
By: Ella Henderson
The United States surgeon general issued an advisory warning that social media can carry “a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” So, this raises the question: should cellphones be allowed in school?
Allowing cell phones in pockets at school is simply hindering academic performance. The London School of Economics found that students without access to cellphones perform 13-20% better than those with access. Humans over the age of 25 have a fully developed prefrontal cortex, which gives them the ability to resist temptations to the exciting commotion that is the internet and the vibration of a new message at your fingertips. But kids in school are much younger than 25, possessing undeveloped prefrontal cortices that makes it harder to resist the temptation of a cell phone. According to pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. “Students who used their phones in class took fewer notes and had poorer overall academic performance, compared to those who did not” so if part of the objective of school is to grow academically why should we allow students to distract themselves?
Some may be wondering why can’t I just divide my attention and keep the phone? Dr. Arnold Glass, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, ran an experiment where during half the lectures students had access to phones, while during the other half of the lectures phones were prohibited. When the end of term exam rolled around the study found that devices lowered the grade by at least 5%, depicting a negative correlation between dividing attention in class and long term retention. Giving students the ability to pick up their cellphones during the middle of class is practically giving them a tool to hinder their academic performance.
Allowing cellphones in school allows for another 7 hours a day where students have access to cyberspace to commit acts of cyberbullying. A 2011 survey in the journal Children and Society discovered that “frequent internet users are more likely to perpetrate acts of cyberbullying.” Out of a survey of 500 teens sponsored by the Telecom firm Openet, 42% of heavy cell phone users have engaged in negative and inappropriate behavior, while only 18% of light cellphone users have engaged in inappropriate behavior. The Sun Journal reported after the death of two teenagers students posted cruel and false comments online. These comments were posted during the school day. The thought that won’t the kids just engage in inappropriate behavior outside of school is invalid as 7 hours is just too much ground to cover. Without the phone ban students will have ample opportunity to make a damaging comment.
Cell phones in school are destructive to students’ growth as intellectuals and can create more opportunities for cyberbullying! Why would any administration want these devices coming through classroom doors?
CONS:
By: Cailyn Robinson
On January 22nd, 2025, Governor Hochul proposed a statewide ban for all cell phone usage in an educational environment for grades K-12 in New York State. She strives for all New York schools to achieve “Distraction-Free” learning without cell phones in the classroom. Hochul will use $13.5 million dollars in funding to support schools in purchasing “storage solutions” for students to keep their devices in during school hours. While this potential law has some upsides, it has also sparked controversy for students and parents in NY.
As a high school student, Hochul’s proposal to ban all cellular devices in NYS schools is hard to agree with. The school day is long and exhausting, and breaks are short. During a day of sitting through nine 40 minute classes, reading lengthy novels, solving math problems, and much more, students should have the opportunity to use their devices as a way to relax during, for most students consider, a difficult day.
I believe there are ways around reducing cell phone usage in schools other than implementing a statewide ban. A good solution, in my opinion, would be for the decision of cell phone usage in classrooms to be up to the teachers; with this approach, each teacher can create their own rules, and students can still use them whenever the time is appropriate, such as during breaks, lunch, or even during class time, for educational activities such as Kahoot! or Blooket, when chromebooks are not available.
Another reason why I disagree with Hochul is because I feel that phones provide a sense of safety. In the event of an active shooter, a fire, or any other emergency event, students will want to have their phones as a way to contact their parents or 911. According to CBS news, Hochul states, “Police officers, sheriffs, law enforcement told me if there is a shooter in the building, the last thing you want your child to be doing is fumbling for their cellphone, texting their friends, maybe videoing it, contacting you. They need to be laser focused on the adult in the room to lead them to safety. And when I heard that, and if more parents heard that, they would understand.” While I understand her concern about students being more focused on their phones in the situation of a shooter, I believe that phones should be easily accessible for students to contact their parents. Once the news gets out that there is a shooter in the school, parents will panic and text their kids. Parents should have the right to know their child’s status in a state of an emergency.
Overall, Hochul’s proposal has ups and downs. While the ban of all cellular devices within schools can offer a more focused environment, students (at least those who are in high school), should have the ability to make their own decisions regarding if they would like to use their devices or not. Phones can be a positive addition to a student’s school day, when used appropriately.
