Credit to Cherry Ann Clark

Since the rise of the smartphone in the early 2000s, phones have quickly become integrated into daily life. Many people use phones for almost everything, from ordering something with just a click of a button to helping with homework.

Our Stance
The district believes that a strict phone policy needs to be implemented. As of right now, phone usage is discouraged but not prohibited; however, there hasn’t been much improvement, nor has it taught students anything. If the plan is to install a heavier restriction, it won’t solve the issue of students misusing their phones, and it may hinder them even further, especially when they leave high school.

Drawbacks of the policy
Phones serve as an alternative device for students who don’t have the resources like a computer or calculator. Phones are flexible and convenient, students can easily pull out their phones and use the calculator app or type on a document. Although students can check out a Chromebook or a calculator from the library, the system isn’t practical. To check one out, students need to get a form and have their parents’ approval. It takes at least a day or two for the librarians to give it to students, which can be inconvenient for a student who needs to get to work and get assignments done quickly.

Limiting phone usage doesn’t work for students who are active in the community and school. Phones are the easiest way to keep track of activities and are used as a source of communication. A limit would hinder students from keeping track of their activities and seeing if any sudden changes in their schedules occur. Phones make it easier to communicate with either a coach or club sponsor as students can no longer travel during Knight Time or during study hall, so students who may need to communicate would have no way for them to get in contact during the day.

Along with that, having some sort of phone ban will ultimately affect students who have disabilities. Students who may use technology to remind them if they need to take medication will face difficulties because not having full access to their phones may make it harder for students to keep track of what they need to do for their health.

If our district is going to ban phones, there won’t be anything to replace the convenience of phones. Many complaints have gone around throughout the years about how complicated it is to use a Chromebook as they aren’t in the best condition, so many students use their phones instead. With the phone restriction, it would be harder for students to get access to online assignments, activities and grades. That also conflicts with students who don’t have a personal computer to be able to finish assignments.

The Benefits of the Phone Ban
While there may be many disadvantages, a phone ban may help students. Studies have shown that students often feel nervous and have poor communication skills since phones replace the need to talk to someone face-to-face. Therefore, with a phone limit students may feel more inclined to start connecting with people in person, but this isn’t guaranteed. Many students have school work and extracurricular activities, so they don’t have time to talk in person with someone; a quick text or phone call is sometimes the best way to communicate with someone.

One of the main reasons the district is considering banning or limiting phones is that they distract students in the classroom, preventing them from retaining information or learning. Many students who may try to multitask by being on their phones and paying attention to the teacher miss out on information. Though this may improve many students’ attention span and learning, this will not help the students who use their phones for classwork and activities, and instead of helping them, the policy is taking away the only resource they have.

Solution
Ultimately, if a phone restriction is going to be a future policy, our district should be able to give students their own Chromebooks on a one-to-one basis. Banning phones will not help students learn how to use their phones properly. Instead, it’s better to teach students how to use their phones appropriately and help them recognize when it’s a good time to use them. In order to do this, we should invite a specialist to conduct a lesson for each class to help properly educate the students. Something like this will help students understand the consequences of misusing phones and teach them the proper way to use their phones, which helps students in the long run. This could be a big assembly or visiting students’ Knight Times instead would help to connect with the students and gain their attention better. This solution is an alternative that provides other options instead of banning phones. There need to be other options to help with student phone usage in school instead of restricting students from being on their phones at all.