An Unnecessary Phone Ban
Imagine that you are a student, using your phone to research about things in school and for contacting your parents. Then, a sudden message from school tells you that you can’t use phones in schools anymore. They say that banning phones are for the sake of you and your fellow students, but, in my opinion, that is just not right.
Right now, 114 countries and 39 U.S states have rules banning phones in schools. However, studies show that these strict bans do not work. A study made by The National Bureau Of Economic Research shows that in 1800 schools that have banned phones, student’s grades have actually decreased by 16%. This shows that banning phones doesn’t necessarily help improve student’s grades.
Edinburgh’s new phone ban is a terrible idea. The city council already messed up the launch by failing to buy the phone pouches on time. Now, they are forcing a flawed policy onto schools without the proper tools. This sloppy rollout creates a huge headache for stressed staff and proves the entire plan was poorly thought out from the start. To add on, phone bans are useless and will be unsuccessful.
There are many reasons why school phone bans are ineffective.
First, students are born in an age of smartphones and high tech; It is natural for them to use phones. Banning phones in school only creates anxiety and stress for both students and their parents. While 44% of teenagers report feeling anxious when they do not have their smartphones, a Pew Research Center study found that a striking 72% of teens feel peaceful when detached from their devices.
Second, students use phones for research. Teachers and parents can monitor the students’ phones while they are researching with their phones, and teachers & parents can ban social media or games on students’ phones. The teachers don’t need to ban their student’s phones altogether.
People might say that students could use computers or tablets for research. However, phones are less expensive. A average computer is about 12000 rmb, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max costs about 9800 rmb.
Total school phone bans are just an easy way out. You can’t protect kids from the digital world by simply taking their phones away. Real education isn’t about blocking technology completely— it’s about teaching students how to use it well. Give young people some trust, help them build good digital habits, and stop banning a tool they’re going to rely on every single day once they leave school.