Are There Any Benefits to Having Phones in School?

By Colt Antle

Cell phone in hand, and earbuds plugged in.

The topic of phones in school is an ever-present one with no clear answer, and will continue to be debated for years to come. Through countless research articles, the cons of the little handheld devices have always been at the forefront of discussions, with little attention given to the pros, making the debate appear one-sided. Despite this, there are actual benefits to allowing students to use their cellphones during class.

In such a technologically ingrained society where most jobs revolve around the use of devices or heavy machinery, it may be helpful to students to interact with technology as much as they can. Jobs like mechanical drafting will require some degree of technological skills, while jobs that don’t relate to a particular field, like working at a fast-food joint or in retail, will require, in some way, the use of technology. 

Students already interact with electronics inside and outside of school, so giving them extra time to use phones during school would help create familiarity with technology that can better prepare them for the ever-changing real world.

“Integrating cell phones in schools can prepare students for the demands of the future workforce. Cell phones are already integral to the modern workforce, with 83% of employees utilizing them. Allowing their use in schools can foster positive change and innovation, equipping students with the necessary skills and familiarity with technology that will be crucial in their future careers,” according to a Sparx Services blog post, www.sparxservices.org/blog/benefits-of-phones-in-school-for-students.

Though the advantages of phones often get swept under the rug, the downsides cannot be ignored. As many teachers have witnessed, if cellphone use is misused, it can become the number one distraction in classrooms. Increased time spent on devices can reduce a person’s attention span and foster harmful habits that can be hard to break. Phones aren’t the only piece of technology that can create this habit, but they are the easiest and most common because of their size, accessibility, and the apps they offer. 

“This might include things like bullying, harassment, videotaping, and posting to social media. Those are reasons why having phones within schools could potentially be accelerators of negative student behavior,” said researcher Dylan Lukes.

Researchers like Lukes have theorized that it might be beneficial to both the school and students to address the hindrances that phones pose and improve them, turning them into an active tool for learning. Phones hold many helpful apps and services, like Google Classroom and Duolingo, on their screens that can help students. This continuous access also allows the student to stay connected to the school and others in an emergency or when they need to access information on the school or work on something related to a class and aren’t at the building to do it. Of course, phones also hold plenty of non-educational applications that would only hurt the student’s learning experience. A balance needs to be struck for these phones actually to serve as resources. By doing this, cellphones can reach their full academic potential as tools for learning rather than constant distractions.

“Cellphones can be useful tools in schools, but they also bring risks. Schools need to find a balance, allowing students to use their phones in helpful ways while keeping distractions and problems under control,” said Director of IT and Special Programs of Central River Area Education Agency, Sarah Nelson.

An outcome like this will probably never be reached, given the divide that everyone has cellphones, but that doesn’t mean things can’t improve or that efforts haven’t supported the issue. Many school districts have enforced cellphone policies and bans to combat students’ constant attachment to their phones. The cellphone policies have a mixed impact across the board; some schools have seen a positive effect from the bans, while others, such as the New York Department of Education, have had to repeal them due to negative responses from students and parents.  

“However, most cellphone bans have been repealed due to their unpopularity with parents and students and concerns over equity [as low-income students often have mobile-only access to the internet]. In March 2015, the NYCDOE lifted their longstanding districtwide cellphone ban and provided schools with significant discretion in designing and implementing school-level policies governing student cellphone use…” said Lukes.

Whether they’re powering the next generation or dimming their future possibilities, phones are here to stay. Technology and society will continue to advance and change regardless of who is in charge or what phone model is currently out. The best way to combat a change like this is to work together to overcome the issues that divide people, rather than throw each other to the side like a bad Wi-Fi connection.



Sources:
https://www.centralriversaea.org/news/the-debate-over-cellphone-use-in-schools-pros-and-cons/ 
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/news/22/08/weighing-costs-and-benefits-cellphones-schools 
https://www.sparxservices.org/blog/benefits-of-phones-in-school-for-students