I personally think that responsible smartphone use should be learned and practiced, rather than outright banning them.
I think this shows that adults are terribly addicted to their devices and think if they can’t stop using them, children won’t either. They certainly can’t teach how to use phones responsibly if they can’t do it themselves. Unfortunately for children the result is an outright ban.
Stop punishing the responsible kids for the shitty behavior of the others. Blanket bans and zero tolerance policies are the tools of tiny minds.
Smartphone use is certainly something that should be decided on local level. Global bans only make sense for universal human rights, or things like climate change that have global effects.
I certainly don’t think (generally, there are exceptions, one of which I will mention below) they should be used in class, but a cell phone call to us at lunch has saved my daughter from a couple of urgent and embarrassing situations she doesn’t want others to know about. I would say that’s useful. It also enables us to let her know basic things like I’ll be late coming home from work, so she shouldn’t let her anxieties play up when we’re not there in time.
Now I said there were exceptions. My daughter has a fellow student who is diabetic and his phone monitors his insulin. He has it with him in class because of that. I would hope that any global ban on smartphones wouldn’t include that kid’s phone and the same for similar kids.
The problem is that phones are intentionally made to be addictive. There isn’t always a responsible way to use them at all if you have any apps other than ‘calls’.
Tackling the manufacturers and software designers would be more useful for everyone than an outright ban for children. Banning manufacturers and carriers from preloading and bloating phones with social media apps and any games would be a start. Platforms actually stopping (young) children from signing up might also help.
Tbh I’d never been allowed to use my phone at school (just graduated HS). Same goes for most schools where I live. Usually kids can bring phones, but they’re supposed to keep them powered off or in a locker on campus. Of course kids will find a way (hiding away in toilet stalls to game etc.), but still.
I don’t see an issue with the rule itself. I don’t think there’s really a way to responsibly use a smartphone at school. If kids really need to contact parents, it shouldn’t be that difficult to ask a teacher for help. Implementing a worldwide rule seems strange to me though.
Almost same experience here. In HS you could have your phone, but leave it on silence and not use it during class. In college you are more ‘free’ to use it whenever you want, but if you’re serious about your studies you leave it on your bag and pay attention.
