It is no secret that there is a growing debate in the pedagogical community about whether students should be given the autonomy and freedom to have phones in school or not. To my understanding, more and more schools have been banning phones. But what is the main reasons for this sudden change? Is it because it is a distraction? Because of the mental health concerns? (Should Schools Ban Student Phones? – The New York Times)
But why SHOULDN’T phones be banned?
- Society should learn to embrace new technological advancements, instead of pushing them away or being scared of them and banning them.
One good example of this in a school environment is the use of Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT. I’m not saying that AI should be used in a school environment, to do assignments FOR kids, but the use of AI should be taught, just like the use of phones. Technology is a tool made by humans for humans. Students as well as teachers should learn together how to use AI. However, younger students and generations should be TAUGHT how to use new and unfamiliar technology, to ensure the use of all technology in the student body and classroom is identical.
Lots of kids also spent doing unproductive things on their phone, for example, playing video games or ‘doom-scrolling’ on TikTok or Instagram. If kids don’t do it in school during their breaks, they will probably spend more time doing it at home, which is also counterproductive. There are also communities of friends, who met on a video game, and play that game together, as a routine in their friendship. Lots of friends also use video games as a means of socialization, because they might be uncomfortable in a social situation.
Generally, phones are such a big part of everyone’s everyday life, because of their easy accessibility due to their compactibility. Others need to be taught how to use them properly and in a productive manner. Why? Because phones can actually improve your organization, rather than distract you, if the younger generations are taught how to use it.
- Using phones as a way of organizing one self.
A way of teaching kids how to use their phones is teaching them how to use certain productive apps on their phones, for example, their notes app or Google Calendar. I personally use Google Calendar all the time, it is almost excessive. It is an amazing method for meticulously organizing your time, especially being a junior with 4 free periods. I also use my notes app to make to-do lists. When someone reminds me of something I need to complete, I take out my phone, and write it down on my to-do list efficiently. Speaking of efficiency, when there is a sudden change made for a particular event, most send out an email to let you know. With your phone, you would be able to look at it quickly and effectively. If a sudden change occurred, you stay informed and organized. If phones were banned, you would have to take out your computer to check your schedule every hour, write down your to-do list on paper (which meaninglessly kills trees) and you wouldn’t be informed if a sudden change occurred for an important event, wasting your and everyone’s time. I also personally use my phone to take pictures of the board during class, asking for permission first. When I take these pictures, I probably didn’t have time to take notes on whatever I took a picture of, or it was a concept that I didn’t quite understand, and it is a reminder for me to learn about it more, or ask the teacher. It is also a reminder for me to review that subject, by redrawing the diagram that I took a picture of, for example. This technique probably improved my grades in courses like history and biology, that constantly has new vocabulary and concepts that need reviewing every day.
- The first question that lots of students ask with such a phone ban is: “How will I listen to music?”.
Most teachers would answer: “Listening to music while studying does not benefit you at all, it’s distracting.” However, according to Music and Studying: Do They Go Together? from Healthline, which states both the benefits of listening to music, and the disadvantages of listening to music, listening to the RIGHT music is crucial. The type and genre of music matters, but this also depends, because everyone is different. Some people prefer not listening to music at all, and some people can only study when listening to music, and with a phone ban, this notion is not respected at all. According to the Healthline article, music with words can be distracting, but calming music, such as some classical music pieces, Lo-Fi music, or any other calming music that is on low volume, can improve your concentration and memorization. This is a decision that should be made personally, so every person for themselves, not by someone else.
Some other tips included in this article, were that to choose slow and instrumental music, “the kind you might hear at a spa or while getting a massage”, and to “stick to songs you don’t have strong feelings about. Listening to music you either love or hate can affect your ability to concentrate.” I also know some people that listen to white noise to cancel out the noise in their environment, which is also of course another solution!
- Last, but certainly not least, banning phones is a safety issue, especially for parents.
Parents want to get a hold of their children 24/7, and have contact with them, especially if they are young. For example, if a parent sends their child to school with public transportation, of course they want to make sure they are safe. And also make sure that they caught the right train/bus on time. Just knowing that their children have a phone and are able to access it during school hours and can communicate with them, is soothing for parents. Their child having a phone and knowing they are accessing it, gives them a sense of safety, security and a connection to their child/children.
To conclude, I think that, instead of banning phones in schools, authority figures should ask the students themselves for solutions, instead of banning them immediately. There should be more consistent and effective communication between teachers and staff and the student body. The staff should communicate their concerns of why they think banning phones is a suitable solution, and the student body should discuss why this is not a suitable solution. Such discussions should be encouraged, so every school institution finds a suitable solution that both the student body and staff/teachers agree with. But why should an older generation of staff members, who didn’t grow up with phones, make decisions for coming younger generations who did grow up with phones?
