Banning mobile phones in schools: beneficial or risky? Here’s what the evidence says
Author: Neil Selwyn
Selwyn, Neil. “Banning Mobile Phones in Schools: Beneficial or Risky? Here's What the Evidence Says.” The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2019, theconversation.com/banning-mobile-phones-in-schools-beneficial-or-risky-heres-what-the-evidence-says-119456.
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Victorian education minister James Merlino’s announcement mobile phones will be banned for all students at state primary and secondary schools is certainly a bold move.
i think that if there is an emergency they need to tell thire parints.
it can be a bit excessive and even if it does happen the likelihood of kids following that rule is little to none
i agree, there should be a more simpler way to deal with the problem, having to ban phones from school is a little to much because students should be able to have their phone on them just in case of an emergency and having to contact a family member.
i think its risky beacause what if your parents call you and its an emergency and i wont have my phone to answer them.
as long as we dont use it and only use it for imporant reasons then its okay but i say we should have our phones
it could be good because there will be less distractions in class but it can also be bad because a student may need to contact someone
Banning phones in school could actually be dangerous. In case of emergency students should be able to call their parents/guardians through there own cellphone. There is only so many School phones and lots more kids. Kids have their own cellphones they should be able to use it. Now have to use the schools to reach their parents. Not all parents like to even pick up the phone when it is unknown, but they would pick it if they saw it was their son/daughter.
Like i get it their is some distraions but if u tell us to put it away we will but not ban them
My thought of it is a yes and a no because students these days dont pay attention to the class and use their phone as a distraction to him not learning.also, i think that student don’t follow direction due to electronics entering the classroom
true es verdad nomas ocasiones importantes
the reason is that some students need it. For example, calling their mom for something. But some students don’t pay attention to some teachers. you can’t ban phones in school but you can not let students use their phones in class.
banning phones is bad because in case of an emergency you would haven’t call your parent or if they have to call you, you would have no way to contact anyone
You should not ban phones because in case of a emergency you might miss it
I think that schools should not banned phones because a lot of people need them, there could be an emergancence in home or at school. Also a lot of people walk home they need their phone to be safe.
Cell phones can also be used as a reminder tool for students homework assignments because most students don’t have a planner to write their assignments in and some can’t remember what they had for homework. Teachers can also use phones during school to send out a message to all the students if they need to remind them on a subject they forgot to mention during class. Students can also use cell phones to access Google Calendar and other apps to let the students become more independent
Banning phones could benefit schools as most kids would get less distracted. But phones could also prove to be beneficial to students as they can take notes on them and if they forget something like their laptop they could do the work on their phones
I myself say that schools should not ban phones in case of an emergency or if their parent’s are running late, they can call them which makes it easy for them. Also if schools did ban phones, the office may have a giant crowd of kids around them just to use the office phone.
its ok banding phones kids might pay more attention to the teacher but also no because you need youre phone to contact youre parents when you have some kind of amergency for example you staying after school.
Banning phones in school would not prevent phones it would just be making people get in trouble while bringing their phones today a phone is and essential necessity
I think this is a good idea. I think this is because when students have their phons they are looking at it and seeing if their friends texed them and if their phons are off they will not be looking and getting distracting them
I think its risky because what if there is a emergency call.
Banning phones from school shouldn’t be allowed because there are other ways to deal with it. Students would need the phone to contact parents in case of emergencies or to let them know when your home from practice or walking. Phones are more beneficial than bad so therefore they shouldn’t be banned.
I think that if you ban phones from school, you can’t call your parents or answer their calls. If they call you and its an emergency, you wouldn’t be able to answer and see what’s going on. Another example is that you wouldn’t have time after school to ask who is picking you up and that is some information you need so you know when you’re going. I think they shouldn’t ban phones because of problems like these.
instead of banning phone think of another solution, what if there was a emergency and our parents wouldn’t know because we dont have our phones
I think that banning phone seems a little much to ban phone we could just handle this situation in a simpler matter
banning phones in schools is good and bad because kids get easily distracted or don´t pay attention, but it can be good for important reasons such as, calling a parent, medical reasons, and free time
i think its risky because what if your parents need to call for for an emmergencay and you wouldnt have your phone to anwer them
I think that we should have our phones because when we gonna get picked up from school we could tell our parents that we out of school and pick us up and I also think the phones shouldn’t be banned just in case we have a emergency.
i think its risky beacause if your parents call you for an emergency you cant answer becuse you wont have have your phone
I think that schools should not banned phones because a lot of people need them, there could be an emergancence in home or at school. Also a lot of people walk home they need their phone to be safe.
i think that we should be able to use phones for a limited time somit wont ba a distraction
difficult to determine directions and mechanisms of the causal relations between mobile phone multitasking and academic performance.
School’s should not ban cellphones because it can be used in an emergency like having to contact someone to tell them something important or something happens at the school that the parent or guardian needs to be notified
I believe banning phones at school should be a thing for like the statement said there is a lot of cyber bulling and now a days cyber bulling isn’t a joke. And also how teens never get off their phone and and stop messaging their friends. and I know people can argue with " What if there is am emergency" well i’m sure their parents can ring the school, yes you may get the news late but at least you still got it.
they shouldnt ban phones because their can be an emergency at any point
banning phones is beneficial and risky for several different reasons it will never be settled weather they should be banned or not
i think completely banning phones is a little bit over the top maybe we should limit the time we have on our phones
I think that’s its beneficial because kids are using there phones in class and they don’t pay attention.
Risky:This could be risky because the students could have a problem and the kids won’t have anything to communicate with there parents.
The uses of phones in school can be many, but by banning phones from school you can be taking away more than you think. Even after you ban phones a whole lot of kids are so used to it, they’re gonna continue either way no matter what. It’s really not effective and would probably cause even more issues. Like retaliation. If it distracts kids in class there’s not point in telling them to stop if you already have a million times. They learn the hard way and when they see the consequences they themselves will do what’s right
banning phones is a good thing and a bad thing because what if you dont have your phone and there could be a emergency with family and its a good thing because education is more
if we have to wear uniform its only fair
I feel like schools shouldn’t ban phones because sometimes their can be really important calls/texts, and if they miss it, there can be a lot of consequences. Maybe put some rules like put the phones in a bin, or make sure every kid has them on silent/put their phones in their backpack. Just don’t ban them, just make sure you put rules on them.
Thats dumb that they try getting rid of phones because they come in use
i think that it is not necessary to do all that. i feel like there is a easier way to control this issue.
banning phones in school should not happen because if there is trouble at school we need to get a hold of their parents, but then again the kids can be using it for other things.
The policy has been justified as a direct response to mounting levels of cyberbullying, concerns over distractions and schools struggling with discipline relating to students’ misuse of phones.
If the cyberbullying will continue outside of the school day, I’m not sure removing it from the school when professionals have a chance to intervene and counsel will be successful in curbing any of the behavior. It may curb it (to get back to old-fashioned bullying) from the school day itself but won’t help stop the overall behavior/problem.
i don’t think people should really ban phones at school because some people might need their phones to contact their parent(s) for either pick-up or even just an emergency. I think too many people are overeating about this situation, yes there are some kids who still don’t care and use it during class but they can just get their phones taken,i think all of us shouldn’t have to suffer for their actions.
I think banning phone is a bit risky. I understand student might take and send or even post videos or pictures of you without your consent. This could be a sign of cyberbullying depending of what the video or picture is about. You also dont need to ban the use of phones because family members or parents may call you in a cause of an emergency or a late pickup.
banning phones is risky because students could have some health problems and they might call there parents for any emergency
There is some people who would take out their phone and use it during the teacher is teaching, but other people don´t have to suffer because one kid used their phone during class. A lot of people might need their phone for emergences.
Students will have to switch off their phones and store them in lockers from the start of the school day until the final bell. In case of an emergency, parents or guardians can reach their child by calling the school.
This concerns me because I would be worried about getting my phone stolen, and missing important messages from my families. If an emergency occurred during the school day like a shooting, no one would be able to quickly get out information to a large group
Some schools don’t have lockers for teenagers to put their phones inside their lockers, but I agree that phones can be a distraction at school because of their lack of school and if their grades keep getting low, then they won’t have a future. If there’s an emergency parent can call the school because they know their children have to focus on their education first.
The reason i dont agree is because students can get in situations where they need to call someone bust dont wanna got to the office and its a emergency then they wouldnt be able to call because they banned phones.
I think this should not be happening in school,because if I had to do this I will be getting worried, and missing important messages from family. Also if there was to happen something bad in school we wont be able to reach people and inform our parents .
I disagree with this because phones can get easily stolen in the lockers. Also what if a parent needs to call or text because of an emergency for their child without other people knowing. Also I think it’s too much to ban phones at school, just take them away from the specific student that doesn’t know how to act with their phone.
The minister said in a statement:
The only exceptions to the ban will be where students use phones to monitor health conditions, or where teachers instruct students to bring their phone for a particular classroom activity.
Whether to allow student use of mobile phones in school is certainly a hot topic in education. The Victorian announcement follows a French government ban on mobiles in school in 2018. Debates on the issue are also taking place in Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
There is considerable public support for banning mobiles. In our recently conducted survey of more than 2,000 Australian adults, nearly 80% supported a ban on mobile phones in classrooms. Just under one-third supported an outright ban from schools altogether.
important to them.
i think it can work but if your in trouble and you bus leave and no one could pick you up you could call your mom or dad or grandparents to go pick you up that is why it is good to at less to no use it when you are in school
80% of adults support a ban on mobile phones in the classroom. I’ve also heard that people who work in Silicon Valley and tech execs like Steve Jobs send their kids to schools that don’t use mobiles. I’m wondering if that’s an urban legend.
Support for a classroom ban was remarkably consistent across different demographics, including political affiliation and age group.
But while banning phones from classrooms, and from school altogether, might seem sensible, there are number of reasons to be cautious. It’s clear we need to carefully consider how we want to make use of digital devices being brought into schools. But previous experience, such as in New York, suggests a blanket ban might introduce even more problems.
And the little research evidence that addresses the issue is mixed.
What’s the evidence?
Reports of cyberbullying have clearly gone up among school-aged children and young people over the past ten years, but the nature and precedents of cyberbullying are complex.
While phones are distractions they also lead to other problems. New forms of bullying came out of technology and people can get really hurt because it is so easy to hurt someone else feelings. You don’t have to think about it or say it to their face. It has become a big problem.
Cyberbulling isn’t going to stop occurring if phones are taken away at school. It mainly occurs after school and over weekends, so removing them during school won’t change or help anything. Also removing phones will take away a kid’s chance to show an adult what’s happening.
Research suggests there is a large overlap between cyberbullying and traditional forms of bullying, which wouldn’t then follow that digital devices are somehow causing these behaviours.
Cyberbullying also often takes place outside school hours and premises. There is a danger banning phones from classrooms might distract education staff from having to continue with efforts to address the more immediate causes of cyberbullying.
if its out side of school hours its because they are playing games on an xbox or their phone if it happens alot on school hours then do it, if not then why is it the schools problem to worry about it because at the end of the day its still going to happen
Read more: Teenagers need our support, not criticism, as they navigate life online
There is also a growing literature exploring the links between digital devices and classroom distractions. The presence of phones in the classroom is certainly found to be a source of multi-tasking among students of all ages – some of which can be educationally relevant and much of which might not.
But the impact of these off-task behaviours on student learning outcomes is difficult to determine. A review of 132 academic studies concluded, it is
difficult to determine directions and mechanisms of the causal relations between mobile phone multitasking and academic performance.
Paragraph 18 0Jan 15Janet I Janet I : Research shows that multi-tasking is not as productive or rewarding as previously thought. moreI think there is some research out there now stating that multi-tasking really isn’t productive. We just have created a society that demands it, but in reality quality of the work done and the satisfaction of completing the task is lower. I have to look up where I read it and get back to you.
There is also a strong sense from classroom research that issues of distraction apply equally to laptops, iPads and other digital devices.
Other technology provides us the same opportunities that our cell phones do, so getting rid of the phones may not help a lot. Laptops, for example, could become more of an addiction if they’re what we are using more than our phones. There could be danger of a new addiction.
All told, the sense from academic literature is that the realities of smartphone use in classrooms are complex and decidedly messy. Our own research into how smartphones are being used in Victorian classrooms highlighted the difficulties teachers face in policing student use (what some teachers described as requiring “five minutes of firefighting” at the beginning of every lesson).
Despite this, we also found instances of students using smartphones for a range of beneficial purposes – from impromptu information seeking to live-streaming lessons for sick classmates.
on-demand searches for information and live streaming lessons to sick classmates. There are lots more positives that aren’t mentioned in the article that Judge students have told me: looking up and submitting an assignment on a course website, translating in foreign language classes, etc.
It sounds as though a large component of this is how the cell phones are used. For a vast majority of people, cell phones are an inextricable part of daily life and finding productive applications for them seems much more feasible than trying to get rid of them.
Read more: Schools are asking students to bring digital devices to class, but are they actually being used?
These benefits are also reflected in classroom studies elsewhere in the world. Research from Stanford University has demonstrated, for instance, that with proper support and preparation, teachers in even the most challenging schools can “build on the ways students already use technology outside of school to help them learn in the classroom”.
I think it would be more beneficial for both teachers and students to teach students how to develop a healthy, productive relationship with their devices. The root of the problem is that kids have unhealthy relationships with their devices and use them improperly, so why not address that instead of banning them altogether?
There is now a whole academic field known as “m-Learning” where researchers have explored the pedagogical and learning advantages of using mobile devices (including phones) in lessons.
Hadn’t heard of that term before. But all the examples seem to be in places that don’t have a lot of resources and connectivity, generally in developing countries. That seems different that the U.S. and European debate. That’s not to say all U.S. communities have adequate resources and connectivity.
But what about a blanket ban from school altogether? Experience from elsewhere suggests enforcing a mobile ban in schools may not be as easy as it sounds.
What we can learn from others
The New South Wales government announced a review into the benefits and risks of mobile phone use in schools in June 2018, led by child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg. At the review’s completion, the government said it would only ban mobile phones from the state’s primary schools, leaving secondary schools free to make their own choice.
It noted
We recognise that technology plays an important and increasing role as students progress through their education […] We want to give secondary schools the flexibility to balance the benefits and risks of technology in the way that best supports their students.
Perhaps the most pertinent example is the ban enforced in New York City from 2006, that was eventually lifted in 2015.
The reasons given for this reversal highlighted several of the concerns the new ban in Victoria will likely face. They include practical difficulties of enforcing a ban in the classroom being exacerbated by banning of phone use during break times and lunchtimes.
However, the addictive state these kids are in can put stress and anxiety on them. If there is a ban, ban them from the classroom during work periods. Allow for use in their own time like lunch or breaks to replenish their addiction. It is hard to keep the same ban over such a large area. It is very hard to stay consistent as a school system. Phones still need to be used for safety and communication, but limiting them in the classroom may lead to educational positives.
First, it was clear the New York ban was being inconsistently enforced by schools – with better resourced schools in more affluent areas more likely to bend the rules and permit student use. In contrast, schools in lower-income areas with metal detectors were more likely to be rigidly enforcing the ban.
Other motivations for lifting the ban were concerns over student safety such as the need for students to contact family members during break times and lunchtimes. Families were also incurring costs to store phones securely outside of the school. There was also a recognition teachers should be trusted to exercise their professional judgement as to how they could be making good educational use of devices in their lessons.
Read more: Should mobile phones be banned in schools? We asked five experts
At the same time, it was reckoned government resources were better directed toward supporting students to learn how to use technology responsibly through cyber-safety lessons.
All these reasons are as relevant now to Victorian schools as they were to New York City schools in 2015. The use (and non-use) of mobile phones in schools is certainly an issue we need to have a proper conversation about. But it might not be as clear-cut as the recent policy announcements suggest.
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i think its risky beacause what if your parents call you and its an emergency and i wont have my phone to answer them
Phones should not be banned because they are very useful for call in case of an emergency because then otherwise you could be in danger
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