Phones can be helpful in some situations, but most of the time, they just become a distraction during school hours. Students typically use their phones every day and keep them even when they shouldn’t. Due to the phones being so distracting, some schools have now made their kids put their phones in their backpacks or in a caddy. Although some students do not like this, teachers have seen improvement when students do not have their phones.
During school hours, putting phones away can be very beneficial. Barbara Magee, a science teacher at Green Hope feels strongly about the disadvantages of having phones in a classroom. As Magee says, “It’s less distracting, so you’re not distracted by your phone. You have to listen a little bit better, because your phone is more entertaining.” She also explained how she has been making her students put their phones up for years and noticed that they were able to focus more. When students remove distractions, they are able to focus better. When phones start ringing or lighting up, it makes kids want to look at their phones rather than pay attention. Some students may think this rule is silly, but it actually helps them in the long run.
In addition, phones can be easily misused during class. Many students use apps like Snapchat during classes instead of paying attention to their work. When students do this, they usually start to fall behind and get overwhelmed. This can connect to stress and anxiety. As the Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health explains, they tracked 11- to 17-year-olds to see how much time was spent on each app during school. The two most common types of apps used were social media and messaging. Most students don’t realize that even if it’s only an hour on their phone during school, that’s going to make them lose their ability to go to sleep an hour earlier. Using phones during school can create bad habits and also make it harder to break away from your phone. Students end up scrolling the whole class and aren’t able to manage their work. Over time, these habits affect mental and physical health.
Phones also create serious challenges for academic integrity. Students may get tempted to use their phones to get an answer. This is an easy way for students to cheat instead of learning the material. Cheating has become more and more common with the rise of technology in classrooms, which is unfair for the students who study and work hard. For teachers, managing students when they are on their phones can be more difficult. Kids will usually send messages in order to get answers quickly. Putting phones up prevents this action a little bit because it becomes trickier. By requiring students to put their phones away, teachers can build greater trust in them and assess whether they are working. All in all, putting phones up can help prevent cheating and distractions.
