By Ava Bee Masterson
If you’re involved in the LREI circle (which you are if you’re reading this), you’d know about the recent cell phone ban that the high school has implemented. The event has sparked commentary from teachers, students, and parents alike. Advocates argue it enhances concentration, while critics may suggest it causes distance. Depending on the situation and what role you take in it, it will affect you differently, bringing up new perspectives. Those are precisely what fueled the initiation of the ban, and conversely, the students’ outrage.
Two forms were sent for students and teachers to fill out. When asked their opinions on the student’s backlash to the phone ban, 37% of teachers agreed that they understood where the student’s distress came from, while 25% did not. In fact, some of the answers said they were unaware of any backlash. Despite that, 74.2% of students were upset about this decision. Many argued that the ban has caused inconvenience because schedules are now only available on your laptop unless you still have a copy of your paper schedule. Taking out your computer from your bag, opening it, signing into Connect, and looking at your schedule can be quite inconvenient.
Has the ban been achieving its goal of decreasing distractions and increasing social interaction? Let’s see what LREI has to say. One anonymous staff member answered, “…it seems that students are more engaged throughout the day. They are talking with each other and with teachers more during the in between times and at lunch. It feels like a weight has been lifted off of the social times at school. Nobody looks too distressed by it.”
A counterargument from an anonymous student is, “I noticed that it forced me to interact more with students in between classes, but I don’t like the change because I feel disconnected from when my friends want to go out for lunch or when something’s going on in school. My friends and I communicate a lot during school through messaging each other, but we lost that connection.”
It is interesting how this change made people feel separated from their close friends during free times but in other situations brought together students who maybe wouldn’t talk to each other otherwise. Communication has come up a lot in student’s answers, and usually in a negative way. “ It’s also quite annoying not to be able to communicate with my parents from school because most of the time when I need to talk to them, I don’t feel comfortable calling them from a school phone in front of my peers and teachers.”
An overall consensus on the student’s end was that the phone ban was unnecessary, but it hasn’t raised too many issues. The teachers expressed they were overjoyed with its effectiveness and found students more attentive and social without phones.
So, should we continue this rule in the future? Right now, based on the answers received in the form, it has improved attentiveness in class social interactions and lessened screen time What do the students say about proceeding with it, though? 37.5% of students would support it, and 62.5% would not. As this rule continues to be normalized in our school, people will adapt, and opinions will change. Students already seem to be adjusting, however, as a staff member said, “I have not experienced backlash. It quickly seems to have become the norm.” There are exceptions that the students voiced, such as allowing phones on school trips, specifically overnight ones.
The overall consensus is that the ban has been a positive change, with the exception of a couple of inconveniences. Students not having phones has been a cause for distress, so we will see what is in store for the rest of this year and next.