Commentary By: Natasha Enis, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
In this age of technology, cell phones have become more than just portable handy devices. Especially for us teenagers, they’re our world, best friend, and crutch; we can’t imagine ever getting by without them. When I forget my phone at home, I always joke with my friends that it feels like I’m missing a limb.
But as essential as phones may seem, their presence during school hours is becoming a serious distraction. Schools are meant to be places of learning, focus, and in-person interaction, yet constant phone use is interfering with that. While past generations succeeded without these devices, we’re struggling to stay present and involved.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 30% of high schools prohibit cell phones during the whole day, which is a shockingly small amount. Some schools have more loosely enforced rules, but most students are typically using their phones at least intermittently during the day. To give students the best chance at success and ensure their engagement, I believe all schools should ban cellphones until the last bell rings.
In the classroom, phones are a real threat to learning. Studies show that having access to them negatively affects test scores and the ability to retain information long term. Additionally, research at the University at Albany found that young adults exposed to mobile technology distractions had worse learning outcomes compared to those without.
While it’s obvious that phones pull attention away from lessons, the damage goes beyond surface-level distraction. Over half of public school leaders report negative impacts on attention span and mental health.
On our phones, we constantly scroll through content, quickly flitting from one subject to the next. Our brains are being trained to be in constant need of new stimuli. While reading a book elicits a deep specific type of focus, cell phones only require a superficial type of concentration. As adolescents, this severely limits our attention span without a chance of recovery, so it is essential that we take a break from the constant noise from our phones. A seven hour school day is the perfect time to do this; students can focus during class while conserving their already decreasing attention span.
Effective learning isn’t the only thing that is negatively affected by cell phones, though; it’s also the ability to socialize and interact with peers. From my personal experience, during lunch, free periods, and in the hallways, most of my classmates are glued to their screens. We’re all so focused on texting our friends in another class, scrolling through social media, or playing video games, that we actually forget to talk to the people around us.
This isn’t just happening in my school. Research shows a quarter of teenagers use their phones for two hours in the school day. That’s time that could be used to chat with friends or meet new people. The resulting lack of socialization can cause feelings of isolation and hurt mental health. According to The Washington Post, reported “school loneliness” has risen drastically from 2012 to 2018. As 2012 marked the point in time when over half of the teenage population in most countries had access to phones, the correlation is too strong to ignore.
It’s not enough to prohibit phones during just educational periods. Their absence for the whole school day would force students to go back to being in the moment and spending time with each other.
This idea has been circulating in many states and schools. Some places have put the cell phone ban into effect, but in most cases parent pushback has prevented much progress. They raise the concern about child safety: students need access to their phone to contact them in the case of an emergency.
While that may be true, students can always use the phone in the main office if they need to talk with their parents. Likewise, parents can call the main office and ask to speak with their child if need be. Most schools also have nurses, counselors, and support teams that might be of better assistance than a parent who is not physically with the student.
Furthermore, phones facilitate cyberbullying, such as taking pictures of classmates and online harassment. School is supposed to be a safe place, but if students don’t feel comfortable in locker rooms and hallways anymore, having a phone for safety is counterproductive.
While I know a complete cell phone ban might be considered a radical change and won’t fix these problems entirely, it’s a good start. I’m the last person who would want to give up my phone for the majority of the day, but with my learning ability and mental health on the line, it’s worth it. We can either set our boundaries in the era of technology or risk letting it take control of us.
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