State considers ban on cell phones
OPINION: Should schools ban phones? NO! YES!
Across the US, school districts in many states are considering placing bans on cell phones in schools. Cell phones have proven to have negative effects in a school setting from surface-level issues such as distractions, to deeper reasons like the deterioration of mental health other schools.
It’s clear that the odds are looking to be in favor of all Texas schools implementing this ban. TEA commissioner Mike Morath spoke out about his opinion on the national ban on cell phones in front of the Texas Senate Education Committee saying that cell phones only create distraction in a school setting.
The main reasons that school districts in the US are considering this ban are due to low academic performance and continuous signs of low mental health from students due to cyberbullying.
It is not a new concept that the US education rank has dropped in the past few decades due to the direct correlation to increasing technology.
This is a major concern for school districts as their academic performance as well as students’ performance is being monitored, in the wake of the massive impact of Covid on academics.
Bans are not uniform for every school and have different provisions depending on the school. What most of these bans include is that there is to be no cellphone use and possession in classroom settings.
In July 2024 the Florida Senate passed House Bill 379 which prohibits cellphone use in classrooms and also bans specific social media apps from the school Wi-Fi. There are also different exceptions for students with health, behavioral, and learning accommodations.
US schools have seen a devasting incline of bullying and suicides, many being at the hands of cyberbullying from their peers.
Cyberbullying has grown exponentially now since social media is bigger than ever. The phone ban is the school’s attempt to mitigate this issue and boost morale on school grounds.
Since this is a growing concern it’s only understandable that this ban will continue to spread around the country. As more schools implement this ban, the pros and cons of a ban may become more clear.
