Technology

It’s not about role modeling. It’s about learning and attention spans.

There's nothing new about children and adults being treated differently.

Sure, we give the kids alcohol, let them drive, let them vote- wait we don't!? What do you mean there's always been these kinds of differences!?

There's ample evidence that social media and smartphone addiction affects developing brains significantly worse than it affects fully-developed brains.

Banning cell phone use in school is a good thing.

I'm always confused by this as "back in my day" teachers would just take our devices away if they were chasing distractions.

Then again that was back in the 2000s before smart phones and wifi everywhere.

Young people are kinda cooked I guess. Between nic vapes and brainrot they are in for a rough time.

Texan here, working for a school district where these types of laws have already been implemented: I'm pretty sure it's about controlling narratives, not improving education.

Kids use their phones to fact-check teachers, record teachers improperly addressing students, record fights, and verifiably report on very real issues within the school. I haven't seen any educational benefits from banning cell phones, only that it's been easier to sweep stories under the rug and to refute concerning complaints from children in need.

I'm sorry, is there a massive problem of adult teachers and staff at school being constantly glued to and distracted by their phones such that it prevents them from teaching and doing what they are otherwise there to do?

No?

... Maybe the critics can ask ChatGPT what a false equivalence is.

We had early smart phones back I was in high school.

We also had this rule.

Its fine.

If its not fine, you have an addiction problem, and should seek help.

Fuck that. If you can't stop schools from getting shot up, banning phones is the wrong move.

Yeah! Kids shouldn't have different rules than adults! Same rules for all ages!

Sincerely,

The Pedophiles

Sounds good, we should let kids drink and smoke pot then right. You can drive a car at any age, any age person can buy cigarettes. No more age restrictions on games and movies...

Staff at schools are adults, many of which are responsible for the lives of other living humans. The critics must all have the maturity of school children.

I could see this making sense if the American education system wasn't already broken beyond repair. Otherwise it doesn't improve education. Simply gives more control to corrupt schools.

In my country a similar cellphone ban in schools has been implemented. Except in our schools kids actually learn quite a lot. It's far from perfect, but far from terrible too. It may or may not have a noticeable impact on students' performance. That remains to be seen, since it was implemented fairly recently. Perhaps scores from this year will indicate either an increase or a decrease.

Though of course, politicians are unlikely to care and even if it ultimately leads to a decline, they won't cancel it.

Yes, we have different rules for kids and adults. Does anyone want to argue that we shouldn't? Really? Let's hear it.

I take it the argument that kids need their phones to be safe at school has been completely debunked? Otherwise, they'd use that one, like parents have since this whole fiasco started.

To anyone old enough to remember when schools didn't allow personal phones, because they didn't exist, the idea that they should be allowed is ludicrous. Same for allowing food, or chit-chat, or kids to get up and wander around the class during instruction, or all the other stupid shit that goes on now in schools, from what I've read.

Hot take but phone ban is schools is bad. We ought to teach kids how to use the phones properly as clearly personal computers are never going away and are fundamental part of our existence.

I know it's hard, I know that teachers will struggle but it's clearly an important investment as we're never going back to a pre personal computer world. It might change shape from a phone to a watch or something but it's never going away.

Adults are more responsible than children. Responsibility comes with privileges.

Agreed - no cell phones in school, for anyone. If someone needs to contact me while I'm teaching they can go through our admin team!

Hopefully only smart phones. I don't care what the school says, my kid will have a flip phone or something so they can contact me and take pics and video. Like everyday a new grooming case comes out and they want less surveillance?