RECENT POSTS
Bully Reporting Apps for K-12 School Leaders
School Shooting Prevention: Suspicious Behavior Often Goes Unreported
Do Anti-Bullying Programs in Schools Work?
Teen Suicide Myths, Facts, and Statistics
Preparing for Active Shooter Attacks: One School's Story
Post navigation
← PreviousNext →
Cell Phone Bans in School – Pros and Cons
By Paul Langhorst April 2, 2012
Student use of mobile phones during school hours is getting a fresh look and the results are surprising.
According to an article by Kevin Thomas, published in T.H.E Journal, 24% of K-12 schools ban cell phones completely, while 62% allow them on school grounds, but with use restrictions.
The data in this article comes from a April 2010 Pew Research study on students and mobile phone use, so these numbers are probably in need of update, but the underlying theme is the same – like it or not, cell phones are present on campus and are taken to school by students with parent approval.
As a parent, I encourage my high school junior to take her phone to school, but not to use it during classes. She drives to and from school daily, so having the phone handy is a big comfort. In one memorable instance I was taking her to school on a late start day due to snow and ice and was stuck in a horrible traffic jam. My daughter learned via a classmate’s “tweets” that the start was pushed back even further due to the massive traffic jams due to ice that day.
The pros of a student having a phone at school, can often be outweighed by the cons. Some pros include:
Immediate access to parents in an emergency
Independent class-room level access from the outside world during power failure, loss of phone system, emergencies, or lock down conditions.
Access to information (via smartphone and internet)
Additional security during before, after school hours
Students can help spread necessary information to each other and parents/guardians
Growing body of content and curriculum designed to integrate phone use
The cons include:
Distractions of social media access
Distractions from texting – some kids are addicted!
Unwanted or premature dispersal of information to parents, i.e. texting parents about being on lockdown before all facts are known.
Continuation of cyberbullying episodes during school hours