Leaders, Educators Push for Cellphone Removal From Classrooms

(RepublicanView.org) – A number of states have been pushing for and implementing cell phone bans in schools. Utah Governor Spencer Cox is one of them. The Republican said student learning improves in phone-free environments, and pupils are more likely to talk to each other. “We just need a space for six or seven hours a day where kids are not tethered to these devices,” he said, according to a report from Newsmax. At a press conference, Governor Cox told reporters that the state will do its part to protect children from the negative impact of social media.

This is part of a larger push on the state and federal level to support restrictions on cellphone use in schools. Last September, Florida banned cell phones from classrooms during “instructional” time, but Orlando’s Orange County public school system went further and banned phone use for the whole school day. The 264-school district with 200,000 students later reported a transformation that even the kids approved of.

Student engagement rose, and bullying dropped, according to district officials. As reported by The New York Times, Timber Creek High School’s Marc Wasko said, “We had a lot of issues with students posting, or trying to record, things that went on during school time,” but this had since disappeared, and tensions had subsequently reduced. Wasko described students making eye contact more often and greeting each other more easily. One student said that without social media, pupils were forced to be themselves, and this helped communication.

Across the country, 77% of schools ban cell phones for non-academic purposes, but educators often admit these are not necessarily adhered to, according to AP News. Lawmakers in several states have proposed cell phone bans, and bipartisan Congress members in Washington have also raised the issue.

In November last year, for example, Republican Senator Tom Cotton teamed up with Democrat Tim Kaine to call for a nationwide investigation into the impact of cell phones in schools. Senator Cotton argued that phones are not only distracting young people from learning but also exposing them to content that is potentially “harmful and addictive.” He added that much work must be done to improve education following pandemic school closures.