Should Phones Be Allowed In School? No! And Here’s Why

In the US, states are moving toward banning cell phones in schools, and as a School Counselor, I couldn’t agree more with this decision. Innovative tech is a hallmark of a great school. Young, creative minds mixed with the latest developments have always been a winning combination that has led to many advancements. Schools, colleges, and universities strive to balance pushing innovation and using tech responsibly. While smartphones wield more power from the palm of a student’s hand than any previous tech advancement, the free reign combined with the teenage lack of control is a powerful and dangerous combination. 

Our students are distracted, preoccupied, and not finding their academic passions.

They are anxious, depressed, and scared of missing out on key social interactions that are happening at lightning speed, thanks to smartphone tech and social media. Teachers constantly need to address several classroom phone-related issues, which takes away from instructional time. These factors must be considered when asking if phones should be allowed in school. 

Research out of Norway and case study reports from US schools have shown overwhelmingly positive results for banning phones from schools. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health conducted a study on 400 middle schools. Key findings from this research study were: 

• Improved academic performance: This is particularly noticeable among girls, who earn higher grades and are more likely to choose academic programs.
• Reduced bullying: A significant decrease in bullying incidents reported by both boys and girls
• Enhanced mental health: A drop in the number of visits to psychological services, especially in girls. 

In the United States, an Ohio school was recently featured on the Today Show after completing its first school year with a cell phone ban and seeing dramatic improvements in students’ academic performance and mental health. Students were interviewed, stating they felt happier, more engaged, and more focused since the ban. This student feedback further supports the need to consider whether phones should be allowed in schools. 

State governments enforcing restrictions on wildly popular yet risky behavior isn’t new. We could compare these smartphone bans in schools to seatbelt laws. When I was a child in the early 90’s, wearing car seatbelts was completely optional. By the time I was a new driver, seatbelt laws were passed and were being enforced with severe fines. 

Today, my children would think it odd and very dangerous not to wear a seatbelt. Cars and seatbelts are synonymous with them. The same could be true for the next generation with smartphones and schools. Our children have a tool that gives them information at rapid speed. These powerful devices have proven to be dangerous, distracting, and impede the learning environment. They must be restricted to be less damaging to our children and keep them focused during the school day.  

Smartphones in classrooms create behaviors that impede learning through:

• Constant Notifications
• Students use Bluetooth earbuds to listen to music or videos without a teacher knowing.
• Cheating! (and with AI, this will only increase)
• Students take pictures and videos without consent to bully, harass, and gossip.
• Students messaging each other to meet up in the halls or bathrooms

If schools ban phones, all of these issues will be eradicated. When schools ban phones, it will allow teachers to teach and administrators to plan for curriculum and instruction instead of constantly dealing with discipline issues regarding smartphones. 

What is needed to make this ban universal? Parental Support.

Surveys of parents with school-aged children have had mixed results in recent years. Parents are split on their support of schools banning phones. While parents like the ease and convenience of communicating with their children throughout the day, they hate how smartphones consume their children’s attention more than anything else. Many parents recognize that a school day free of smartphones would allow their children to have face-to-face social interactions and show them what life away from screens is like. However, some parents fear that they won’t be able to communicate with their children during the school day. 

What can parents do to keep kids off their phones while at school? 

Until schools ban phones, parents can implement their own controls to keep their kids off their phones during the school day. A Parental Control app or a no-internet phone from BARK can implement screen time limits. The BARK phone has the essential functional aspects of a phone and looks like a smartphone without the temptation of the internet. BARK developed a smartphone that can operate without the internet or with filtered web only. If your child already has a smartphone, you can install the BARK app to put parental controls on it, such as screen time limits and bans on specific apps. 

The BARK phone has features parents love while looking like a typical smartphone that kids aren’t embarrassed to own.

Features that the BARK app and phone offer:

• GPS that your kids can’t turn off
• The option for no internet or filtered internet
• No social media or monitored social media
• Child Saftey Alerts on texts and pictures
• Call Block for unknown numbers and other contacts
• Find the phone siren and remote lock and wipe

If you want to implement Parental Controls on an iPhone, read our post on How to Use Family Sharing on an iPhone.

Click here to learn more about the BARK app and smartphone.

While recent research supports removing contact with smartphones during the school day, banning phones in schools is a big step and requires community support. While school districts try to decide if phones should be allowed in schools, parents can take steps to limit their children’s access to their phones at school. Parents can advocate for banning phones in schools while implementing their own parental controls during the school day. Download the BARK app or purchase the BARK phone to help your child stay focused during the school day. 

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