Cell phone ban at school. This is a big topic of discussion among school districts, parents and students. This is one counselor’s perspective. Let’s start with how my kids reacted to the news. “Are you freaking kidding me, I am going to die” was not my initial response. However, this was my daughter’s initial reaction, who is currently a junior. I had viewed some of the lawmakers’ discussions on whether to ban cell phones in schools. There are many faculty, staff experts, and students who are in favor of a cell phone ban at school. It’s nice for kids to have their phone at school. You can text them. They can text you. It’s way easier, but they don’t absolutely have to have it.
There are many mixed feelings that I have heard from parents and students about the cell phone ban from parents. I have heard outrage from what if something happens. You know we have school shootings these days. There’s so many bad things that could go wrong. I need to be able to contact my child so they have to have their cell phone. I have heard the biggest argument from parents. Well I bought that cell phone and it is personal property and they cannot confiscate personal property. I’ve also heard from students of what am I gonna do all day? School will be boring. Students cannot listen to music. When work is done we cannot watch a show. I can’t take pictures with my friends or post on social media. I won’t even be able to know what time it is?
Why is There a Cell Phone Ban at School?
So one of the main premises for the cell phone ban at school is to accomplish several tasks. Number one it’s to limit distractions in the classroom. Teachers will not have to say put your phone away. Go put it in the cubby. Go put it in the pocket. Get off your phone. Quit sending a text message on your smart watch or take out your earbuds. You can’t even hear me. One rule eliminates these issues. Concentration, creativity, and communication can be had with students and teachers. The second task will be to reduce it. I think there is a lot of social pressure and bullying which can happen with phones in general. There will not be phones to video someone in class. Or video a fight that could potentially end up on social media.
The third task that it’s gonna do is force students and teachers to have face-to-face real life interaction. Conversations about what’s happening in the class and their lives. Cell phones are a huge distraction, which is why so many people love them. I just wanna do scroll and you can do scroll on a phone. However, it is a time that does not add value to your life. I would dare say steals time in your day. Cell phones have created a state where many young people do not know how to simply have a conversation. Many do know how to ask for directions or order food. Students are so used to having a crutch of a cell phone. They have lost the art or may never have had the ability to communicate effectively face-to-face.
The response from schools on the ban is recognizing the origin which comes straight from the governor’s office. Not directly from the independent school district. The school districts know that they have to abide by these laws. Each school district has pushed out the punishments for violations of having your phone in school. There are some that are pretty lenient. Also some that are pretty severe and it’ll be an interesting year to see how this plays out.
What Good Can Come From a Cell Phone Ban at School?
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Is there any good that can come from a cell phone ban at school? Many teenagers for the most part are saying absolutely not, I need my phone. It makes me feel better. I like to be able to be connected with my friends and my family. I would argue that there could be a lot of good that come from a phone band at school. Even as an adult if you can ask yourself how much time every day you spend doomscrolling?
One good that can come from a phone ban will be it’s gonna force kids to speak to each other. Instead of their attention being looking down at their phone. They’re going to have to look people in the eye. One trend I’ve noticed this school year is kids are bringing digital cameras to school old-fashioned. Take the pictures on the camera and send them to your phone and I think it’s really great. It requires a lot more energy though. A lot of kids have found a way to be able to still have those memories from high school.
Another side effect that would be positive is during school hours social media would be nonexistent. There would not be a viral post or rumors. That would distract from instructional time or would contribute to the negative mental health of particular students. You’ve probably sent the videos just like me of teachers trying to take cell phones from students. It typically goes viral because the student is angry and says this is not your property. You cannot tell me what to do. Then you have the teacher who is trying to abide by district rules. With a cell phone ban at school from the state, it leaves no grey area. Students or staff are on the same page about whether or not cell phones can be seen in school.
What Could be Wrong with a Cell Phone Ban at School?
Like with anything there are negative side effects to having a cell phone ban at school. One worry of parents is they will not be able to have complete access to their children. Technology has made connection easier than ever. And given us a false sense of access to people, places and things due to technology. If your child is at school, the school is to keep them safe in the case of an emergency. If you have concerns of safety bring them to school administration.
Yes, there are numerous scenarios that could play out in your mind. It is not helpful to sit and think of every negative scenario or bad thing. We have to simply put facts over fear and trust that our student is in good hands. Another possibility is that there are opportunities that will be missed due to no access to phones during school hours. This could be a change in extra curricular activities or assignments.
The school will also need to make changes to how they are communicating with students. Not only how parents communicate but how the school responds. I know that the students who have never had a phone at school are not missing it. This is definitely not the case with older students. Junior and seniors who have been able to have their phones at school. The learning curve for these students will be very steep and sharp. They definitely have the ability to learn new things. The last but most obvious negative side effect could be the increase of anxiety. Students not having access to their cell phone for fear that they’re going to miss something. Cell phones increase anxiety. Everyone would agree that they bring about more tasks, more awareness and also more information.
What if this brings anxiety with my student? And myself as a parent? What do we do? You seek professional help if your child is having such severe anxiety. Because they cannot have access to their phone at school.
How Can Students Adjust to a Cell Phone Ban at School?
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A cell phone ban at school will be a big adjustment you and your student. The first way to help any person adjust to anything new is to talk about it. Make it familiar. Go ahead and have conversations at home instead of waiting for the conversation to begin at school. Discuss the reasons behind the law. Even if you don’t agree. Address their concerns: How can they communicate with you? With their friends? How are they gonna know what time it is? Keep up with their streaks? These are all real concerns of teens that are used to having an overreliance on their cell phone.
When a student steps outside of school, they can pull out their phones and resume their online life. This will be a good break from using the cell phone all day. They may feel the need to overindulge in their cell phone due to being restricted with it at other times.
How can I call my kids in an emergency? What if something is happening at school and they are not able to contact me? This is a common concern that I’ve heard since the announcement of the stuff on band in our state. School districts are aware that students will not be able to contact their parents. The school will have to be more proactive about contacting parents. This is a great topic to be brought up to school administrators.
How Do I Help Myself To Adjust to a Cell Phone Ban at School?
The next concern is how I as a parent can adjust to cell phone ban at my child’s school. What am I gonna do when I need to let my child know I can’t pick you up? I need you to ride the bus or I need you to go pick up your sibling. How is this gonna work if they cannot get on their phone? But I still need to let them know important information. We’ll just have to do it the old-fashioned way. Calling the school and leaving a note for the student. You can simply email your child and they can check it when they have a chance. These things are gonna have to be figured out in real time.
I would say that your child has had more years with no cell phone usage. As opposed to having a cell phone. What did we do when this was the situation? The ban on cell phones is due to a lot of reasons. One of the biggest is to have a balance with technology. Many family’s say we have too much screen time. Either watching TV, on the computer or on our phones 99% of the time. No one is talking to one another. No one is getting anything done. A cell phone ban at school it is a great time to reflect on technology choices and habits at home. To see if there are any changes to be made at home.
Conclusion
Research is yet to be seen in our state as to the effectiveness of a cell phone ban at school. Some teachers who have taken to social media to share their experience. These teachers are reporting that students are engaged. Students are task oriented. They are speaking to one another. Asking for help. Teachers are saying this is a new set of kids. I have no idea if this trend will last. We can hope that the beginning of this cell phone ban at school can continue to have a positive result.
Now, what can we do if this is creating anxiety? Not being able to be on our cell phone. Whether from a student or parent who is unable to contact their student during the school day. This may create a large amount of anxiety. Even feeling paralyzed when we do not have complete access to our phone. This is a great reason to seek counseling and get some professional help for you and your child.
Get Help Now
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We understand that you may be dealing with more than one or many mental health, relationship or parenting concerns. Cypress Roots Counseling offers individual and couples counseling, as well as parenting help. Ethical, professional and confidential services are what you will experience at Cypress Roots Counseling. There are many types of counseling. At Cypress Roots you will encounter CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Solution-Focused Therapy, Gottman Method (Couples) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Emotion Focused Therapy (Couples & Individual). Services are now available to Spanish speaking individuals and families. Los servicios están disponibles con un proveedor que habla español.
