(ConservativeHub.com) – While there has been a growing number of schools pushing for cell phone bans, the movement does not appear to be consistent across the board. State lawmakers and teachers have reportedly looked to restricting or banning devices in the classroom as a way of minimizing distractions and boosting learning. However, there is some backlash from parents as well as debate about how far the rules should go and how they should be implemented.
In Virginia, Los Angeles, and New York City there have been steps to ban all student phones from classrooms in the past few weeks. This comes despite opposition from many families. Some parents have specifically expressed concerns that they will not be able to get a hold of their children in the case of an emergency or school shooting. How to actually implement such measures and keep these devices out of the hands of young users in class is also a logistical issue that has come up.
American Psychological Association chief science officer Mitch Prinstein noted that he believes they have the science that shows why banning cell phones during class time is important. He said it’s known that “multitasking” is not a thing and that instead, people are just task-shifting back and forth. However, according to him, children’s brains have not fully developed which makes it harder for them to shift tasks in the ways that adults do. He added that this is why, in order for students to succeed, it is very critical for these cell phones to be taken out of the classroom.
Virginia is a state currently taking action to remove phones from classrooms. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) recently directed the state’s Department of Education to draft guidance for schools to create policies that will establish restrictions on phones during classes. Meanwhile, other lagre school districts have approved or are looking in to similar restrictions.
There are some advocates, however, who argue that phones should be completely banned throughout the day and not just during class. For instance, Phone-Free Schools Movement co-founder Sabine Polak argues that cell phone use during lunchtime or other breaks can cut into socialization time, while banning the devices only in class places a larger burden on teachers.
The other co-founder, Mileva Repasky, also argued that students having their phones during school can actually making them less safe during emergencies due to the distraction.
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