Recently, Saskatchewan introduced a new rule in schools to ban cellphones in the classroom. During class discussion when I heard about these rules, it made me surprised. Because in my country cell phones are strictly banned in schools. The article, column: cell phone ban in schools: Are we gaining or losing? I observe both positive and negative sides of the use of gadgets in the classroom. Where cellphones are handier rather than books and all that. Students can easily touch and connect anytime and anywhere in the world even, it makes learning easy by using the various educational applications. However, it has some negative effects that do not impact on learning, even social and emotional development also. After the Covid Pandemic, I could observe that the majority of youngsters spend more time with their gadgets and even more preferred to online learning. Which was not only affecting their education but also their social life and personal relationships.
Discuss positive aspects of prohibition.
Banning cell phones in the classroom contributes productively to students overall development. We would say that it can show a big transformation in the learner’s lifestyle. These steps encourage the students to focus more on in-person learning instead of online learning tools. However, phone-free environment provides opportunities for students to interact with their fellow mates and emphasizes creative and critical thinking. Which develops social values and abilities to understand others emotions. Such a kind of positive attitude develops leadership, problem solving and decision maker qualities in learners. It does not impact positively on his academic performance even, in his relationships. For example, in the past, when people did not have such kinds of facilities like electronic gadgets, social media and other online sources for learning and communication, they communicated face to face even, in schools they used books for readings and made notes so that they had good communication and writing skills and have a strong relations with society. So, according to me, it has more advantages on student’s overall development side.
Additionally, the prohibition of cell phones maintains classroom disciplines. It minimizes unnecessary disturbance in classrooms. Teachers can put an equal focus on their students and build a strong bond between teacher and student.
Negative side
On the negative side I just analyze that the limitation on the use of cell phones in the classroom creates challenges to communicating in urgent situations for administration and parents. Cell phones connect directly to students with their parents and school leaders in any conditions. Reduce the access of E-learning tools and make it hard for international students who cannot afford expensive books. They completely rely on their cell phones to access educational apps and get all resources easily.
Medical drawbacks.
The article, Cell Phone Addiction and Psychological and Physiological Health In Adolescents. Describe medical complications that comes on due to excessive use of cell phones. Spending more time on screen is affecting the youngster’s physical and mental growth. Overuse of cell phones increases the various medical complications like depression, anxiety, and memory loss, bad physical posture, sleeping disorders, obesity and other problems. May be these rules can solve this problem.
Lastly, I believe that banning cell phones is not the best solution to control the misuse of cell phones. Rather than in schools, they should be given lessons on how to use technology for academic and professional development.
Hello Babban,
It’s impressive and I also agree with the positive aspects of the prohibition of cell phones to maintain classroom discipline. It minimizes unnecessary disturbance in classrooms. Teachers can put an equal focus on their students and build a strong bond between teacher and student.
Hi Babban, I like your nuanced approach to the ban. I also appreciate your mention of the medical side effects of cell phone overuse – something I don’t think has been mentioned enough. As adults, blue light and doomscrolling have noticeable impacts on our health. As students’ brains are still developing, there’s no question cell phones have an even greater impact. Just a follow-up question – if students are not learning proper cell phone use in schools, who do think should be teaching them these lessons? My hope is always for the parents to provide these lessons. Unfortunately, more often than not, it seems that parents need similar lessons before they can teach balance to their children.
Hi Babbandeep. Thanks for sharing.
I agree that there are benefits to putting cell phones away and allowing students to interact with each other in a face-to-face setting. That is definitely one of the benefits of having policies in place that provide guideline.
I do also see the negatives of enforcing a ban across all schools. In my school division, we have done a lot of work on the purposeful use of technology in the classroom to enhance learning, provide broader connections to the world and to promote creative and critical thinking.
I think I would prefer an educational setting where we have regulations in place to teach the students guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate use. But I am sad to see the learning opportunities be taken away by this new province-wide ban.