Debate #4: Cell Phones Should be Banned in Classrooms

Agree side

Bithy, Chloe and I had the privilege to debate why cell phones should be banned in schools today. Thank you to all our classmates for chiming in on the group chat and sharing their thoughts and reasonings why cell phones should/should not be banned. It was a great discussion and got pretty heated!

There is no doubt that cell phones are essential in our everyday life. With technology available at our fingertips, students have the opportunity to find new information online and learn new skills quickly. It would be beneficial to teach our students to use their cell phones efficiently and responsibly in a classroom setting, but why is this so difficult?

We have become so reliant on our cellphones that we have trouble putting them down. Yes, even during instructional time, students are texting their parents, sending a snap to their friends, or surfing the web. A study we found shows 64% of teenagers text during class, even in schools that restrict cell phone use (Jones et al., 2018). Clearly creating “some” restrictions in the classroom is not working. Students continue to get off-task and use their mobile device for non-related academic purposes. This is why we NEED to ban cell phones in the classroom. Alberta and Ontario have already implemented this ban within their schools and Saskatchewan is not far behind. 

An experiment from a middle years school tracks 30 students, 30 cell phones and 40 minutes to see how many notifications/alerts interrupted the learning process. In the span of 40 the class received 662 notifications. Science tells us that arousal levels are higher when text messages/alerts go off on our phones. Other findings from this experiment show us that learning is taking longer and teachers are not getting through their mandatory curriculum. Mental health concerns are also an issue and need to be acknowledged. Even if a student chooses not to use their phone, they are still affected by their peers who do. Another study by Thornton and colleagues (2014) found that distracting effects of the cell phone’s “mere presence” interferes with complex tasks, therefore, affects the learning process in schools. The unapproved use of cell phones in classrooms not only distracts students but also disrupts the teaching process. Imagine a teacher having to repeatedly ask a class full of students to put their phones away, losing valuable teaching time. 

The academic performance of students is strongly impacted by the use of cellphones in classrooms. Research shows that students who frequently use their phones during class tend to perform worse on both assessments and assignments. The ability to retain information, participate actively in discussions, and also comprehend complex topics is impossible when students’ attention is divided between the lesson and their devices. Students who are on their phones are less engaged in the classroom. Students want instant information which affects their motivation and can affect their ability to problem solve and critically analyze information. 

As educators ourselves, I am sure most of us (if not all of us) have witnessed students using their mobile devices during school hours. Snapping pictures and texting during class time, or surfing the web are only a few examples of current inappropriate cell phone uses in schools. These actions have created more problems for students and teachers to deal with. Even with cell phone restrictions, students are finding ways to use their phones inappropriately during school hours. Student cell phone use has been associated with increases in cyberbullying, academic dishonesty, sexting, and poorer mental health. 

SO WHERE DO I STAND REGARDING CELL PHONES IN CLASSROOMS?

The disagreeing side of our debate was very strong. Both Greg and Savannah brought great points to our discussion and I had a hard time not agreeing with them! Now that our debate is over (thank the lord), I can agree that cell phones should be allowed in the classroom to support educational experiences (for example: using apps to aid learning and researching online). I also agree that students should be taught HOW to use their cell phones efficiently and responsibly. As difficult as this process is, I do believe that students need to learn this skill. However, we can not do this alone. Whether our government puts a ban on cell phones in the classrooms or not, we need parents to help teach their children about appropriate cell phone use at home and monitor their mobile device use. I think kids are getting way too much screen time to begin with and cell phones are addicting. It is a convenient way for kids to entertain themselves and I believe that kids nowadays are missing out on important life skills. They are not leaving the house as often and interacting with people in person without burying themselves in their phone. You see them walking around with their eyes glued to their device. Mind you, adults are doing this too!

Kids need a healthy balance between putting their phones away when not needed and using their phones appropriately for educational purposes. How do we teach our students to become responsible users without burning ourselves out?