Banning cell phones in public schools will not solve the widespread phenomenon of social media and technology addiction. Rather, it will open a door for liability issues, theft and further exacerbate a lack of trust between students and staff.
According to Chalkbeat, the plan to ban cell phones across New York City public schools is expected to take effect in February 2025. A common concern is that the enforcement of the ban will be up to individual schools’ discretion. “Some school leaders have wanted to steer clear of collecting phones, worried about liability issues for lost devices,” Chalkbeat reported.
Schools have reason to be wary. “There were 402 reported major crimes on school grounds during the fiscal year ending June 30, compared to 346 in the previous 12 months, according to department records…” according to The New York Post. “Grand larcenies shot up 53%, from 102 incidents in fiscal 2022 to 156 in fiscal 2023, while burglaries surged by 76%, from 37 to 65.”
Some experts claim that the mere presence of cell phones can be detrimental to students’ academic success. “The presence of students’ mobile devices in educational environments may undermine both learning and test performance—particularly when these devices are present but not in use,” a study from the University of Chicago states
However, this reasoning also applies to adults, who are just as attached to their cell phones as their younger counterparts, and yet if a workplace started to mandate employees to physically hand over their cell phones, most people would find that to be wildly inappropriate.
Another nuance that should be considered is the numerous students who have special needs surrounding their devices, such as students with IEPs, or those who need to use their devices to track glucose levels and other health information. Moreover, many parents have safety and communication concerns.
“Well you know, I think parents have become very accustomed to being able to reach their kids 24/7 and…some of them are very uncomfortable with the idea of not having that access,” Laura Meckler, Washington Post’s national education writer, stated on ABC News. “You actually hear quite a bit [from] parents who are worried about what if there’s an emergency situation…will I be able to reach my kid?”
There are ways to limit cell phone use in classrooms while allowing students to retain a sense of control over their personal belongings, such as setting rules and enforcing them with reasonable consequences.
According to Education Week, “In the Brush school district in Colorado, for instance, students aren’t allowed to have their phones out during instructional hours but can use them any other time. If a student is caught with a phone when they’re not allowed to have it, parents can either come to school to collect the phone or they can let the school keep the phone until the end of the day.”
Students should respect their teachers by staying off their cell phones in class. Likewise, schools should respect students and their belongings.