School after school, the story is the same: students’ smartphones distracting them from studying and erosion Mental health and personal social relationshipsThis places an unbearable burden on teachers and administrators who must monitor their use according to their schools’ policies. To solve this problem in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I started this Proposal to ban mobile phones for students during the school day. I believe this policy is essential to creating a healthy learning environment for our children.
Research shows that what I’ve seen in visits to schools is true. In psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Creating an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” he shows that smartphones and social mediaWith access to both in schools, rates of depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, and physical assaults also increase. Additionally, phones and social media reduce the rate of meaningful in-person interactions and lead to less beneficial social-emotional development.
The educational loss is equally serious. UNESCO report for 2023 He pointed to clear negative impacts of mobile phones on education globally, saying that it is increasing distraction in classrooms and leading to decline in academic performance.
As studies are proving the harms of smartphones and social media, initiatives are being taken to curb the phone use of students in schools. gaining momentum across the country — and around the world. A handful of states, including Indiana and Florida, even more schools and districts have implemented bans on smartphones in schools. And California There is at least one half a dozen states On which legislation is pending.
It appears the new rules are working. studies passed were told Banning phone use in class improves academic performance and test scores, comparable to the benefits of adding an hour to the school week. A study of Spanish schools Studies that banned smartphones found a jump in test scores and a significant drop in cyberbullying. Researchers have found Physical benefits tooBecause restrictions on phones during vacation lead to more time being spent being active.
School principals in LAUSD who have implemented phone-free school day policies report fewer fights, increased student engagement, and a more positive overall campus climate. But currently, District Policy It hasn’t been updated since 2011, so they’ve had to take steps on their own to enforce strict rules. If the new policy is approved, principals will simply follow district guidance.
Banning smartphones in LAUSD schools will present challenges, especially enforcement challenges. But these are surmountable obstacles. Many schools Deliver Magnetically Sealed Cellphone Pouch For students. The pouches lock and unlock with a special magnet, which is placed near the school entrance. Students tap to lock their pouch when they arrive at school and then tap again to unlock it when they leave. Another option is to collect the devices in a cellphone locker in the morning; students can retrieve them at the end of the day or in an emergency.
Some schools rely on trust and honor codes — kids can keep their phones but promise not to have them on or out during the day. However, according to Haidt, without actually removing devices from the equation, teachers and staff have to enforce restrictions in addition to their already full workload. Even the most vigilant teachers can’t always prevent secret scrolling. And face-to-face enforcement takes more time than simply confiscating phones and then returning them at the beginning and end of the school day.
A common concern about locking smartphones is that students will not be able to call for help in an emergency. Some public safety experts say It’s safer for kids not to use their phones in emergency situations. For example, in the case of an active shooter, many students will call 911 overloading the switchboard, And the sound or vibration from the phone could reveal a student’s location. School officials, not students, need to execute emergency plans and communicate with teachers, students, parents, and law enforcement.
Implementing a smartphone-free policy in LAUSD schools is not an attempt to ignore the realities of the digital age. Students will still have access to the internet with district-provided laptops and tablets. By removing personal smartphones and social media from the school day, we will help kids focus on technology that supports learning, by protecting them from the distractions of technology that does not support learning.
Just as we ban harmful things like tobacco and alcohol in schools, we must implement a districtwide protocol that addresses the adverse effects of smartphones and social media on children. By going phone-free, LAUSD can help restore a learning environment that promotes attention, social engagement, and healthy development. Our children deserve nothing less.
Nick Melvoin Member of the Los Angeles Board of Education, @nickmelvoin
